Simon Lavington announced as the recipient of the 2024 Honorary Fellowship at The National Museum of Computing
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Simon Lavington announced as the recipient of the 2024 Honorary Fellowship at The National Museum of Computing
Bletchley, 12th of July 2024 – The National Museum of Computing (TNMOC), has today announced that Simon Lavington, M.Sc., Ph.D., FIEE, FBCS, C.Eng - an Emeritus Professor in the Department of Computing and Electronic Systems at the University of Essex - is to be awarded an Honorary Fellowship of the Museum. The Honorary Fellowship recognises outstanding contributions towards the history and ongoing development of computing.
Simon’s academic journey commenced with an Electrical Engineering degree from Manchester University in 1962. Following this, he embarked on pioneering research in automatic speech recognition utilising the Atlas supercomputer, leading to a Ph.D. Subsequently, he contributed significantly as a member of the design team for the groundbreaking Manchester University high performance MU5 computer.
Moving to the University of Essex in 1986, as Professor of Computer Science, Lavington’s research specialised in Systems Architecture principally centred on advancing hardware and software for parallel information processing. He led the Alvey Programme-funded Intelligent File Store (IFS) project, which was granted a British Computer Society Silver Medal for Technical Achievement. The IFS project was completed in 1996, after which he worked on parallel techniques for Knowledge Discovery in Databases ('data mining') and interactive video over congested IP networks.
Following retirement in July 2002, Lavington redirected his energies towards writing about computer history, a passion he began in 1970 and continues to this day. He has authored numerous journal articles and books on the history of computing with a focus on early British computers during the period 1945 to 1970. Notable titles include: “Early British Computers”, “The Pegasus Story” and “Moving Targets: Elliott Automation and the Dawn of the Computer Age in Britain 1947-67” and “Early computing in Britain: Ferranti Ltd. and government funding, 1948 – 1958”.
The ceremony will take place on Wednesday the 18th of September. This is a hybrid event which will be livestreamed and recorded. Attendees may choose to attend virtually or in-person. Tickets can be purchased here.
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About The National Museum of Computing:
Situated on the historic grounds of Bletchley Park, The National Museum of Computing is an independent institution that brings computing history to life for the general public and specialists alike. The museum's approach blends engaging exhibits with a focus on British computing heritage and ongoing innovation.
TNMOC is committed to preserving, restoring, and demonstrating historic computing machinery, offering successful learning programs, and fostering the next generation of computer scientists and engineers through educational initiatives, festivals, lectures, and interactive events.
For more information, please contact:
izzy.swaney@tnmoc.org / 01908 374708
