New professor adds to Greenwich University's computing expertise

The University of Greenwich has appointed Mike Worboys as Professor of Spatial Informatics.

A specialist in geographic information systems, Professor Worboys has spent much of his career working at the boundaries between this subject, computer science and mathematics. He was previously Professor and Director of the School of Computing and Information Science, University of Maine, USA.

Professor Worboys' appointment is part of an ambitious programme of investment at the University of Greenwich in world-class, award-winning research across the institution. The university is also building on its track record of strong links with business and a 40 per cent growth in external research income over the last three years.

He says: "Having been an academic in the USA for the last 11 years, I am excited to be returning to my home country and the city of my birth to take up this position. I hope to make a strong contribution to research on information systems that support the sustainability of our environment and society."

Professor Worboys is also a visiting professor at the University of Edinburgh, a Distinguished Scientist of the Association for Computing Machinery and a life member of the London Mathematical Society.

He has held posts at several UK institutions, including Keele and Leicester universities and the Rutherford-Appleton Laboratory in Oxford, and has been a visiting professor at the University of Marseille and the Technical University of Vienna.

His work has been funded by grants from the US National Science Foundation, the Engineering and Physical Research Council, the Government of South Korea, the European Commission and several sectors of industry and government.

Professor Tom Barnes, the university's Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research & Enterprise, says: "Professor Worboys is an international leader in his field, and we are very pleased indeed that he will be joining our university as we drive forward our research agenda. His expertise ideally complements work we have going on in mathematical modelling and computer science at the university and will enable us to develop our research into new areas."

Professor Worboys takes up his position at Greenwich in February 2013. Further professorial posts are being created in other academic areas across the university.

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