New Years Honour for computer science professor Nick Jenning
Source: Meghan Hindley,
A COMPUTER science professor has been made Companion of the Order of the Bath in the Queen’s New Year Honours List for his services to computer science and national security science.
Professor Nick Jennings, who grew up on Portland and went to Weymouth Grammar School, has been recognised for his pioneering contributions to artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and agent-based computing.
He is the UK’s only Regius Professor in computer science, a prestigious title awarded to the University by the Queen to mark her Diamond Jubilee.
Professor Jennings is the head of electronics and computer science at The University of Southampton. He said: “I am delighted to receive such an award and feel it is recognition for the excellent teams I have worked with, both in the university and in government. It’s been a real privilege to see fledgling ideas pulled through into real-world applications in both roles.”
He has just finished a six-year term of office as the chief scientific advisor to the UK government in the area of National Security. He was the inaugural post holder and helped ensure that the best possible use of science and technology is made for national security purposes.
An internationally-recognised authority in the areas of agent-based computing and intelligent systems, Professor Jennings research covers both the science and the engineering of these systems.
He is a member of the University’s Agents, Interaction and Complexity research group and has undertaken fundamental research on automated bargaining, mechanism design, trust and reputation, coalition formation, human-agent collectives and crowd sourcing.
He has also pioneered the application of multi-agent technology; developing real-world systems in sectors such as business process management, smart energy systems, sensor networks, disaster response, telecommunications, citizen science and defence.
Professor Jennings is also a successful entrepreneur and is chief scientific officer for Aerogility, a 20 person start-up that develops advanced software solutions for the aerospace and defence sectors.
Robert Jennings, Nick’s father, was overwhelmed with pride at his son’s success.
He said: “He has worked extremely hard for it. We lived in Portland for about 18 and a half years.
Nick got into computers at a very early age and when he was about 14 he was doing his own computer programmes and games. We encouraged him the whole way growing up and we are so proud.”
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