ACS Elects New Fellows

Monday 12 May 2003 - The Australian Computer Society (ACS) has rewarded the achievements and commitment of three outstanding ICT professionals with Fellowships of the ACS.

At the bi-annual meeting of the ACS National Council over the weekend, the professional society's peak decision-making body elevated Dr Noel Edge, Associate Professor Mark Looi and Dr Glenn Stewart to the status of Fellow.

The Council also debated proposals to revamp its administrative structure to improve services to members, as well as endorsing initiatives to expand knowledge transfer activities and increase its relevance to graduates and younger professionals.

ACS National President Richard Hogg said the newly-elected Fellows were all leading identifies in the ICT sector who had demonstrated enormous commitment and dedication to the industry and profession.

"The ACS does not award Fellowships lightly. Those nominated for this kind of recognition are always people who have served above and beyond the call of duty to impact and shape the sector in which they work."

Over a period of 30 years, Dr Noel Edge has combined an academic career with industry and consulting experience to contribute to the growth and development of both sectors. He has served as Head of the Information Systems Department at the University of Southern Queensland and is now Professor of Information systems at the Zayed University in the United Arab Emirates.

Noel has extensive experience in government and business, and has conducted research in e-commerce and its effects on business models, with particular focus on the application of automated metrics to web development environments and applications.

An active member of the ACS for many years, he established and chaired the Darling Downs Chapter also served on the Society's Queensland Branch Executive.

Associate Professor Mark Looi is a leading authority both within Australia and internationally, in the area of smart cards and information security, publishing and presenting widely on this issue.

He plays a leadership role within the School of Data Communications and the Information Security Research Centre at the Queensland University of Technology, setting research managing staff and students, directing the consultancy and continuing education activitres.

Mark has also helped to drive the transfer of knowledge in his area of expertise, serving as Organising Chair of the Fifth Australian Conference on Information Security and Privacy, and Deputy Organising Chair of Asiacrypt 2001, the largest conference on cryptography in the Asia/Oceania region and one of the biggest in the world.

Dr Glenn Stewart is a 35 year veteran of the ICT sector, with a highly productive career that has encompassed academia, professional consulting and applying his ICT expertise within the Army Reserve.

Glenn has been a published numerous papers on ICT education and the application of ICT in other educational disciplines, has developed and implemented a range of ICT-related courses within the university sector, and helped to develop a platform for universities seeking to use enterprise systems as a vehicle for education in business, engineering or ICT.

He serves as a Major in the Army Reserve, where he commands the only group of ICT specialists within the Reserve forces. He has also helped numerous leadership roles within the ACS, serving as QLD Branch Chair and as Director of the ACS Publications Board.

This media release is available on the ACS Web site at http://www.acs.org.au/news/120503.htm

ENDS

About the Australian Computer Society: The ACS is the recognised association for information technology (IT) professionals, attracting a large and active membership from all levels of the IT industry and providing a wide range of services to its 16,000+ members. A member of the Australian Council of Professions, the ACS is the public voice of the IT profession and the guardian of professional ethics and standards in the IT industry, with a commitment to the wider community to ensure the beneficial use of IT. See the ACS Home Page for more information.

Media Enquiries:

Richard Hogg, ACS National President, Tel: (0408) 549 531, Email: richard_hogg@acslink.net.au

Caroline New, ACS PR Consultant, Tel: (02) 9555 1986 or (0411) 889 456, Email: cnew@acslink.net.au