Prof. Dame Wendy Hall

Digital Library

ACM Presidential Award

United Kingdom - 2022

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For her technical contributions that have significantly influenced the development of the Semantic Web and the field of Web Science; her leadership and impact in shaping the science and engineering policy agenda internationally; her advocacy and leadership in promoting informatics education throughout Europe through the Informatics for All coalition and other international groups; and her committed and inspired work to strengthen ACM?s geographically diverse footprint and establishing and fostering regional councils to promote ACM activities in China, India, and Europe.

Outstanding Contribution to ACM Award

United Kingdom - 2014

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For guiding ACM to become a truly international organization, helping improve diversity within ACM, and working to increase ACM's visibility in scientific venues world-wide.

As the first ACM President from outside North America, Professor Dame Wendy Hall had a vision of ACM as an international organization and developed a success path to achieve this vision. Her dedication to having ACM a global organization resulted in the development of ACM Europe, ACM India and ACM China Councils, which continue to thrive. She also focused on education of the younger CS generations and promoting gender diversity. She supported ACM-W efforts not only in North America but also in India and Europe. She led the effort to make ACM the world's leading computing society by sharing ACM's values, resources, and services, with a borderless audience and by discovering, welcoming, and nurturing talent in computing from all corners of the world.
Press Release

ACM Fellows

United Kingdom - 2010

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For contributions to the semantic web and web science and for service to ACM and the international computing community.

2022 ACM Presidential Award

Dame Wendy Hall, Regius Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton, receives the ACM Presidential Award. Hall is recognized for her technical contributions that have significantly influenced the development of the Semantic Web and the field of Web Science; her leadership and impact in shaping the science and engineering policy agenda internationally; her advocacy and leadership in promoting informatics education throughout Europe through the Informatics for All coalition and other international groups; and her committed and inspired work to strengthen ACM’s geographically diverse footprint and establishing and fostering regional councils to promote ACM activities in China, India, and Europe.

Hall is one of the first computer scientists to undertake serious research in multimedia and hypermedia. The influence of her work has been significant in many areas including digital libraries, the development of the Semantic Web, and the emerging research discipline of Web Science. With Sir Tim Berners-Lee, Sir Nigel Shadbolt, and Daniel J Weitzner, she co-founded the Web Science Research Initiative and is the Managing Director of the Web Science Trust, which has a global mission to support the development of research, education and thought leadership in Web Science. Since 2014, she has served as a Commissioner for the Global Commission on Internet Governance.

Hall has also helped shape science and engineering policy and education. In 2018, she helped found the Informatics for All coalition, and serves as the chair of its steering committee. Informatics for All aims to establish informatics as a fundamental and independent subject in school for students at all levels throughout Europe.

As the first ACM President from outside North America, Hall initiated the establishment of ACM Councils in Europe, India and China, extending the organization’s scope to a borderless audience. She also focused on the education of upcoming computer science generations, promoting gender diversity and nurturing talent in computing from all corners of the world.

In 2014 Outstanding Contribution to ACM Award, Association Honors Leader For Expanding Promise And Profile Of Computing

ACM has recognized the vision and achievement of a leader who has transformed the way the world views computing. Dame Wendy Hall of the University of Southampton increased the visibility of ACM in leading scientific venues worldwide by broadening its values, resources, and services.

Professor Dame Wendy Hall is the 2014 recipient of the Outstanding Contribution to ACM Award. As the first ACM President from outside North America, Hall initiated the establishment of ACM Councils in Europe, India and China, extending the organization’s scope to a borderless audience. She also focused on the education of upcoming computer science generations, promoting gender diversity and nurturing talent in computing from all corners of the world. A Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton, UK, Hall was a founding director of the Web Science Research Initiative to promote the discipline of Web Science and foster research collaboration between the University of Southampton and Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT).

Press Release

Background

Wendy Hall, DBE, FRS, FREng, is Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton, UK, and Dean of the Faculty of Physical and Applied Sciences. She was Head of the School of Electronics and Computer Science (ECS) from 2002 to 2007. One of the first computer scientists to undertake serious research in multimedia and hypermedia, she has been at its forefront ever since. The influence of her work has been significant in many areas including digital libraries, the development of the Semantic Web, and the emerging research discipline of Web Science. She has published over 400 papers and is frequently invited to speak at high-profile conferences and events.

With Tim Berners-Lee and Nigel Shadbolt she co-founded the Web Science Research Initiative in 2006 and she is currently a director of the Web Science Trust, which has a global mission to support the development of research, education and thought leadership in Web Science.

In addition to playing a prominent role in the development of her subject, she also helps shape science and engineering policy and education. She became a Dame Commander of the British Empire in the 2009 UK New Year's Honours list, and was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society in June 2009. She was president of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) from 2008-2010, the first person from outside North America to hold this position. Other significant posts she has held include senior vice president of the Royal Academy of Engineering, member of the Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology, founding member of the European Research Council, member of the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), president of the British Computer Society and EPSRC Senior Research Fellow. She was chair of the European Commission’s IST Advisory Group from 2010-2012. She is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Council on Robotics and Smart Devices.