Web Science pioneer named amongst most inspirational in European technology

Professor Dame Wendy Hall from Electronics and Computer Science at the University of Southampton has been named among the top 50 most inspirational women in European technology for 2016 as revealed by Inspiring Fifty.

Dame Wendy was recognised for her incredible career achievements in Computer Science, which judges said make her ‘a fantastic role model’. The Web Science pioneer joins leading influencers, entrepreneurs, business leaders, academics and policy makers throughout Europe who were nominated by the public and selected by a panel of judges from Europe and the US.

“Our aim at Inspiring Fifty is to showcase and celebrate amazing women, to provide girls and young women role models who can show them that a career path in technology can be an exciting and rewarding one,” say Insipring Fifty. “The ultimate aim of our work is to help address the gender imbalance in the technology sector and build a more positive future for the next generation.” Dame Wendy is Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton, Director of the Southampton-based Web Science Institute and Managing Director of the Web Science Trust. As one of the first computer scientists to undertake serious research in multimedia and hypermedia, the influence of Dame Wendy’s work has been significant in many areas including digital libraries, the development of the Semantic Web and the emerging discipline of Web Science, which celebrates its 10th anniversary later this year. Dame Wendy’s current research includes applications of the Semantic Web and exploring the interface between the life sciences and physical sciences. In addition to playing a prominent role in the development of Computer Science, Dame Wendy is also helping to shape science engineering policy and education through her leadership on national and international bodies. Throughout her career, Dame Wendy has been a leading advocate in promoting the role of women in science, engineering and technology.