Biographical details for the plenary speakers and workshop facilitators at the IWMW 2004 event are given below.
Plenary Speakers
David SUPPLE is manager of the Corporate Web team at the University of Birmingham and manager of the University’s Institutional Portal Project. His teams remit is the development of the site to facilitate the e-business and e-learning aims of the institution, and the delivery of a Web-enabled organisational vision. In real terms this means the re-corporatization of the University Web site, through a focussed Web strategy, common infrastructures and templates, centralised hardware, adequate support and a customer focussed internal sales process to help convince users to migrate back to the centre.
The Web Team uses mostly Microsoft products (a challenge in itself), with occasional forays into MySQL and Unix just to keep us sane.
Over the coming year, David’s focus will be on developing a major portal environment for the University, something that has been in planning for almost 2 years now, and he is keen to engage with the HE community on this new type of development to help maximise the potential of this technology.
David is also interested in Web strategy in general and the development of organisational structures and processes as they respond to a more electronic view of the world.
David Supple gave a plenary talk on Trials, Trips and Tribulations of an Integrated Web Strategy (P1).
David can be contacted at <d.r.supple AT bham.ac.uk>
Heidi FRASER-KRAUSS is the Director of Business Improvements (BI) at the University of St Andrews. BI is a relatively new Unit which combines the traditional MIS function with project management and process analysis/re engineering expertise. Heidi has a background in management and has worked on a number of research projects aimed at improving communication and business processes in manufacturing companies. Before she took up her current post she was part of the team who introduced e-business to the University of St Andrews.
Heidi gave a plenary talk on E-business: Why Join In? (P2) and co-facilitated a workshop session on From Swipe Card Machine to the Computer Screen (B4) both jointly with Ester Ruskuc.
Heidi can be contacted at <hmf AT st.andrews.ac.uk>
Ester RUSKUC is a Project Manager in Business Improvements of the University of St Andrews. Ester has a background in IT and a wide ranging experience of many aspects of higher education administration, information flow, data management and administrative systems. She is involved, and has a keen interest in, the management of IT related projects, business process re-engineering and change management.
Ester co-presented a plenary talk on E-business: Why Join In? (P2) and co-facilitated a workshop session with Heidi Fraser-Krauss on From Swipe Card Machine to the Computer Screen (B4).
Ester can be contacted at <er3 AT st.andrews.ac.uk>
Tony BROWN is a Web developer at PPARC (the Particle Physics and Astronomy Research Council), where he responsible for the development, hosting and running of Web, Intranet and Extranet applications. He has grappled with computers since 1987, starting on mainframes moving through client server to Web-based applications. For the last ten years he has specialised in information retrieval and display, and, for reasons he still can’t work out, content management. For purely pragmatic reasons he has sold his soul to Microsoft, and has an ongoing love/hate relationship with .NET.
Tony gave a plenary talk jointly with Matt Thrower on Socrates: Building an Intranet for the UK Research Councils (P3).
Tony can be contacted at: <tony.brown AT pparc.ac.uk>
Matt THROWER has been a web developer at PPARC since 2001 and has still not left. He originally learnt to program on a ZX Spectrum, then forgot all about computers and went and worked in a laboratory. Eventually, he was saved by the increased popularity of the World Wide Web since that looked a lot more fun that E.Coli. Matt will eulogise for hours about the FileSystem object, and is still cross at Microsoft for leaving it out of dotNET.
Matt gave a plenary talk jointly with Tony Brown on Socrates: Building an Intranet for the UK Research Councils (P3).
Matt can be contacted at: <matt.thrower AT pparc.ac.uk>
Stephen BULLEY is Head of MIS at the London School of Economics and Political Science. MIS is part of the Business Systems & Services Division, which also includes Web Services, Telecoms, Timetables, Conferences & Events and provides IT support to the School’s a dministrative departments.
Stephen runs the front line and application support teams for BSS, as well as the Oracle and Unix/Linux systems team.
He has worked in IT since 1991 and as an MIS Manager since 1997 from a background as an Oracle DBA; first in FE at South East Essex College and then at the LSE. He has been involved from the start with the LSE for You student & staff portal and recently led an evaluation for a portal product to help take this project to the next stage.
Stephen gave a plenary talk on LSE for You: From Innovation to Realism and Beyond (P7).
Stephen can be contacted at: <s.bulley AT lse.ac.uk>
Sebastian RAHTZ is normally Information Manager for Oxford University Computing Services, but is currently seconded part-time to manage the JISC Open Source Advisory Service (OSS Watch).
As this role lets him play with open source software a lot, and reject MS Word attachments with a clear conscience, he is having fun. Sebastian also serves as a member of the Board of Directors, and Technical Council, of the TEI (Text Encoding Initiative) and recommends TEI markup to anyone who stays around long enough to listen.
Sebastian gave a plenary talk on Beyond Free Beer: Is Using Open Source A Matter Of Choosing Software or Joining A Political Movement? (P5) and co-facilitating a workshop session on Being Open Source (B7) with Randy Metcalfe.
Sebastian can be contacted at: <sebastian.rahtz AT computing-services.oxford.ac.uk>
Brian KELLY is UK Web Focus – a post funded by the JISC and MLA which provides advice and support to the UK Higher and Further Education communities and the museums, libraries and archives sector on Web issues. Brian is based at UKOLN.
Brian has been chair of the programme committee for the Institutional Web Management Workshop series since he established the event in 1997.
Brian’s interests include Web standards, technical architectures for Web services and innovative Web developments.
Brian is chair of the Programme Committee and a member of the Organising Committee.
Brian gave a plenary talk on Life After Email: Strategies For Collaboration in the 21st Century (P6), collaborated with Lawrie Phipps in the talk on Beyond Web Accessibility: Providing A Holistic User Experience (P4) and co-facilitated a workshop session on QA For Web sites – What Goes Wrong And How Can We Prevent It? (B5) with Amanda Closier.
Brian can be contacted at <B.Kelly AT ukoln.ac.uk>
Dave HARTLAND is the manager of Netskills, a national training and staff development service based at Newcastle University and partly funded by the JISC. Netskills provides approximately 400 workshops per year primarily to the Higher and Further education and public library sectors in Internet technologies, Web service management, e-learning and information skills. The training materials developed for these workshops are made available via a licence system to universities and colleges. Netskills also runs accredited Professional Development Certificates in conjunction with the workshop programme.
David is a member of the UCISA Staff development Group and the BIOME (Health and Life Sciences Information Gateway) Steering Group. He has run workshops and training courses for the Internet Society’s developing countries programme and was for 5 years the chair of the Information Systems and User Services Working Group for TERENA (Trans-European Research and Education Network Association)
Dave gave a plenary talk on Strategic Staff Development for the Web-enabled Organisation (P8).
Dave can be contacted at: <d.w.hartland AT netskills.ac.uk>
Lawrie PHIPPS is the TechDis Senior Advisor for Higher Education. His background is in staff development and e-learning, designing and developing virtual field trips and courses and supporting science lecturers in learning and teaching. Lawrie is also a Visiting Fellow at the Special Needs Computing Research Unit at the University of Teesside. The research group is looking at a range of issues including disability and mobile learning, the use of multimedia to support disabilities, computer assisted assessment and the development of Virtual Learning Environments to support students with learning difficulties.
Lawrie gave a plenary talk on on Beyond Web Accessibility: Providing A Holistic User Experience (P4) jointly with Brian Kelly.
Workshop Facilitators
Paul BROWNING is Assistant Director, Information Strategy at the University of Bristol (but was an earth scientist who ran a departmental network in a former life). Paul wrote the JISC TechWatch Reports on Content Management Systems and Through The Web (TTW) Authoring Tools, and the Technical Review of the systems developed by the JISC “Building MLEs in HE” (7/99) programme. He is Chair of the Advisory Committee for OSS Watch – the JISC -funded Open Source advisory service. Currently he heads up Bristol’s Pilot Portal Project.
Paul facilitated a workshop session on on Blogs & Wikis: Herding Cats? (A3).
Paul can be contacted at <Paul.Browning AT bristol.ac.uk>
Jason CAMPBELL is the Service Manager at JISC Legal Information Service, which gives information on ICT law to colleges and universities throughout the United Kingdom. Its aim is to prevent legal barriers being an obstacle to the use of ICT in the FE and HE sectors. He lectured in law at the University of Abertay Dundee for ten years before joining the Service.
Jason facilitated a workshop session on Integrating Legal Compliance into Web Management (A8).
Jason can be contacted at <Jason.Campbell AT strath.ac.uk>
Amanda CLOSIER is a Research Officer at UKOLN, University of Bath. Her time is split between working for QA Focus and working for the JISC IESR (Information Environment Service Registry) Pilot project. Prior to this Amanda worked for a JISC 5/99 project as an Information Officer and has a background in library and information work.
Amanda co-facilitated a workshop session with Brian Kelly on QA For Web Sites: What Goes Wrong And How Can We Prevent It? (B5) with Brian Kelly.
Amanda can be contacted at <a.closier AT ukoln.ac.uk>
Louisa DALE, JISC, took part in the optional Introduction To The Web Community session.
Heidi FRASER-KRAUSS co-facilitated a workshop session on From Swipe Card Machine to the Computer Screen (B4) with Ester Ruskuc.
Heidi’s biographical details are given above.
Claire GIBBONS is the Web Officer for the University of Bradford, working within the department of Marketing and Corporate Communications. Claire is responsible for the external face of the University’s web presence and works closely with departments and Schools to ensure consistency of University brand and message as well as compliance with standards and legislation, such as SENDA.
Claire was recently shortlisted for the national HEIST Young Marketer of the Year award (an award which she will be too old to enter next year!).
Claire co-facilitated a workshop session on Cheesy And Sad Images (B6) with Joel Porter.
Claire can be contacted at <c.s.gibbons AT bradford.ac.uk>
Dominic HILES is a Web Developer within the Internet Development Group of the Institute for Learning and Research Technology, based at the University of Bristol. His recent work at the Institute has concentrated on the development and bespoke implementation of the Plone Content Management System (CMS). Dominic has previously developed a wide variety of database-backed information systems and turned his attention to Web-enabled database systems around 4 years ago. This started with the development of a ‘portal’ for the School of Biological Sciences at the University (using Macromedia Coldfusion) and has included stints of JSP development as well as database design and implementation using Microsoft Access, Oracle and PostgreSQL.
Dominic co-facilitated a workshop session on Give The Dog A Plone (A6) with Kieren Pitts.
Dominic can be contacted at <Dominic.Hiles AT bristol.ac.uk>
Brian KELLY co-facilitated a workshop session on QA For Web sites – What Goes Wrong And How Can We Prevent It? (B5) with Amanda Closier.
Brian’s biographical details are given above.
Patrick H LAUKE has been Webmaster at the University of Salford since January 2001, where he is involved in both strategic planning and hands-on design/development for all University Web sites. He heads a small central Web team which is directly responsible not only for the development and maintenance of the University’s core Web site, but also for the creation and dissemination of University-wide guidelines and templates for the various departmental Web authors.
An outspoken accessibility and standards advocate (although he’s been called an “evangelist”, with only slight negative connotations, by some of his colleagues), Patrick favours a pragmatic hands-on approach to Web accessibility over purely theoretical, high-level discussions.
Back in September 2003, Patrick completed the relaunch of the main University of Salford site, pulling it in line with revised corporate identity guidelines and abandoning the kludged, table-based markup with standards-compliant XHTML, CSS and enhanced accessibility features.
Patrick facilitated a workshop session on Implementing Web Standards Across The Institution – Trials And Tribulations Of A Redesign (B2).
Patrick can be contacted at <P.H.Lauke AT salford.ac.uk>
Peigi MACKILLOP is the Training Office for EDINA, a national data centre based at the University of Edinburgh. Peigi has a background in Systems Librarianship but changed direction in 2001 after gaining a training qualification. She became interested in usability through observation of users and feedback at training sessions.
Peigi co-facilitated a workshop session on on Paper Prototyping in Practice (A5) with Paul Milne.
Peigi can be contacted at <Peigi.MacKillop AT edina.ac.uk>
David MACCABE is a Project Manger/Business Analyst at the University of Abertay Dundee. He is relatively new to higher education (Jan 2004) having worked in the private sector in a number of project management, business analysis, systems analysis and development roles. He ran his own database and software development consultancy for seven years. At Abertay, current projects include process mapping, business intelligence and, of course, the University portal.
David co-facilitated a workshop session on on Taxonomy: The Science Of Classification (B3) with Chris Milne.
David can be contacted at <d.maccabe AT abertay.ac.uk>
Grant MALCOLM is the Web Coordinator at The University of Western Australia. Appointed in 2001, Grant was the first full-time, centrally employed web officer at the University. He has managed the establishment of the University Website Office, the key Web policy, support and advisory unit of the University. The Website Office has overseen the roll out of an open source content management system to most business units around this highly devolved University.
In a previous incarnation Grant was the Computer Technician/Tutor in the Language Studies Department at Edith Cowan University (Western Australian). The department was recognised nationally as a centre of excellence in language teaching and research, in part for its innovative use of new technologies.
Grant facilitated a workshop session on on Measuring the Impact of a CMS Implementation (A7).
Grant can be contacted at <grant.malcolm AT uwa.edu.au>
Randy METCALFE is Communications Manager for OSS Watch, based within the Research Technologies Service, University of Oxford. He is responsible for all aspects of internal and external communications with particular focus on the online presence of OSS Watch. He has previously been Communications Director of a national charity developing citizenship education materials for schools and further education. In that capacity he has authored resources for BBC Education and others. His previous work was in philosophy with a special interest in ethics.
Randy co-facilitated a workshop session on Being Open Source (B7) with Sebastian Rahtz.
Randy can be contacted at <randolph.metcalfe AT computing-services.oxford.ac.uk>
Bo MIDDLETON is Portal Project Manager at the University of Leeds. She has responsibility for planning and developing an institutional portal including undertaking a business analysis of University requirements for a portal product and scoping a detailed business case for a portal service. Previously, Bo taught electronics, computer science and programming before escaping from a career as an academic and becoming a full-time techie, most recently specialising in library systems and library portals.
Bo facilitated a workshop session on Using your Ayes and Noes: Creating a Business Case for an Institutional Portal (A4).
Bo can be contacted at <m.m.middleton AT leeds.ac.uk>
Chris MILNE is a Senior Information Specialist (Academic Librarian) at the University of Abertay Dundee. He spent five years at the Robert Gordon University Aberdeen, 1990 – 1995 first completing his undergraduate degree BA (Hons) Librarianship and Information Studies and then continuing with his Post graduate studies (PgDip Information Analysis). Having turned his professional development towards the management area he has recently completed a Postgraduate Diploma in Personnel Management and is now studying for the PRINCE2 Practitioner exams having passed the PRINCE2 foundation element.
He worked at the Robert Gordon University briefly before moving to the University of Abertay Dundee to co-ordinate the development of the University’s IT Help Desk. From 1998 – 2002 Chris was the Academic Librarian for Abertay’s Business School and latterly the School of Computing. From 2002 to date he worked closely with colleagues across teams to develop library services including the introduction of an information literacy programme into the University’s modular scheme.
Chris’s current duties include co-ordinating the revision of the University’s Information Strategy and implementing the introduction of the project management methodology PRINCE2 into the University’s Information Services Department and providing project support to the University’s portal project.
Chris facilitated a workshop session on on Taxonomy: The Science Of Classification (B3).
Chris can be contacted at <c.milne AT abertay.ac.uk>
Paul MILNE is the Documentation Officer at EDINA, a national datacentre based at the University of Edinburgh. One of the hats he wears is the Web Editor of the EDINA web site. Another is accessibility watchdog. He also has an unhealthy interest in usability issues.
Paul co-facilitated a workshop session on on Paper Prototyping in Practice (A5) with Peigi MacKillop.
Paul can be contacted at <paul.milne AT edina.ac.uk>
Kieren PITTS joined ILRT during June 2001 having freelanced for the Institute at various times since 1999. He is currently employed as a Senior Technical Researcher for the Biz/ed service and the Internet Development (ID) group. Recently Kieren has been working on the implementation of the Plone Content Management System (CMS). In addition he is currently working on an online graphing tool using Scalable Vector Graphics, a number of Flash-based games & simulations and further developments to his metadata aggregation tool. As a freelance developer his clients included The Daily Telegraph, Novartis AG, Wiggins Teape and British Aerospace. Previous to his current position Kieren gained a PhD in insect ecology from the University of Bristol. In recent years Kieren’s research interests have centred on the development of interactive and educational online games and simulations.
Kieren co-facilitated a workshop session on Give The Dog A Plone (A6) with Dominic Hiles.
Kieren can be contacted at <Kieren.Pitts AT bristol.ac.uk>
Joel PORTER is the Senior Communications Officer within the Office of Marketing and Communication at St Martin’s College, Cumbria. Joel is responsible for the external face of the College through the corporate Web site as well as developing internal communications via the college Intranet.
Joel has a background in Photography and has exhibited nationally.
Joel co-facilitated a workshop session on Cheesy and Sad Images (B6) with Claire Gibbons.
Joel can be contacted at <j.porter AT ucsm.ac.uk>
Sebastian RAHTZ co-facilitated a workshop session on Being Open Source (B7).
Sebastian’s biographical details are given above.
Ester RUSKUCFrom Swipe Card Machine to the Computer Screen (B4).
Ester’s biographical details are given above.
Helen VARLEY SARGAN works for the University of Cambridge Computing Service, handling information for and on the Web, giving courses on Web technologies and generaly doing webmaster stuff. In other lives a zoologist and refereee to two daughters and an overweight cat.
Helen facilitated a workshop session on Choosing a Search Engine for your Web Site (B8).
Helen can be contacted at <hvs1001 AT cam.ac.uk>
Tracey STANLEY is the Head of E-Strategy and Development at the Library, University of Leeds. She is responsible for the development of Library strategy for electronic services and electronic resources. She currently chairs the Steering Group for the Library’s Hybrid Library Project. She has also spearheaded a number of Library initiatives in using virtual learning environments for the delivery of e-learning support activities. Tracey is Project Director for the PORTOLE project (funded under the JISC DiVLE programme) which is looking at the integration of resource discovery tools into a Virtual Learning Environment. Tracey has produced a series of articles for the Ariadne electronic journal, and has undertaken consultancy work for Netskills and for other UK universities.
Previous posts held by Tracey include Faculty Team Leader, Engineering, Mathematics and Physical Sciences Team (December 1998 – December 2001) and Networked Information Officer (March 1995 – December 1998), both at Leeds University Library.
Tracey facilitated a workshop session on Developing an E-content Strategy for your Web Site (B2).
Tracey can be contacted at <T.S.Stanley AT leeds.ac.uk>
Ian UPTON is a Web Applications Developer at the University of Birmingham. He is currently responsible for developing ‘new generation’ Web infrastructure for the corporate Web site and creating the mechanisms needed to support those who contribute to it.
Ian facilitated a workshop session on on Defining the Role of the Web Editor (A1).
Ian can be contacted at <I.P.Upton AT bham.ac.uk>
Peter WALKER has 15 years experience in the IT industry working in local government, private industry and at the University of Bristol. His career started in database and PC development work but rapidly moved to project and group management.
Pete has led on projects delivering a Council Asset Register, home-to-schools transport management, commercial student record and stock-control system and range of HE applications. The technology base of these projects range through PC-based, mainframe, client-server, and the Web.
Since January 2002 Pete has managed the Internet Development (ID) Group, the consultancy wing of the Institute for Learning and Research Technology. ID delivers Web projects, large and small, to the University and the Higher Education and public sector.
Further details about Pete and the work of the ILRT can be found at <http://www.ilrt.bristol.ac.uk/>
Peter facilitated a workshop session on on It Always Takes Longer Than You Think (Even If You Think It Will Take Longer Than You Think) (B1).
Peter can be contacted at <peter.walker AT bristol.ac.uk>