{{short description|Professor of computer science}} {{Use dmy dates|date=April 2018}} {{Use British English|date=April 2018}} {{Infobox officeholder | honorific_prefix = | name = Liz Bacon | honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|FRSE|PhD|CEng|CSci|CITP|FBCS|FIScT|PFHEA|NTF}} | image = | caption = | birth_name = | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|1963|09|27}} | birth_place = Redhill, Surrey, England | death_date = | death_place = | office = Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Abertay University | term_start = May 2022 | term_end = | predecessor = Nigel Seaton | successor = | office2 = | term_start2 = | term_end2 = | predecessor2 = | successor2 = | party = | other_party = | spouse = | children = | alma_mater = Thames Polytechnic (BSc), University of Greenwich (PhD) | profession = Computer scientist, academic leader | awards = Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, National Teaching Fellow, Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy | website = {{URL|https://www.abertay.ac.uk/staff-search/professor-liz-bacon/}} }}
'''Liz Bacon''' {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|FRSE}} (born 27 September 1963) is a British computer scientist and academic leader. She is a Professor of Computer Science and currently serves as '''Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Abertay University''' in Dundee, Scotland.<ref name=abertay>{{cite web |title=Professor Liz Bacon |url=https://www.abertay.ac.uk/about/the-university/governance-and-management/university-court/court-members/professor-liz-bacon/ |website=Abertay University |access-date=3 December 2025}}</ref> A Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, Chartered Engineer, Chartered IT Professional and Chartered Scientist; she is known for her work in artificial intelligence, technology-enhanced learning, and STEM diversity advocacy.<ref name=rse>{{cite web |title=Professor Liz Bacon FRSE |url=https://rse.org.uk/fellowship/fellow/professor-liz-bacon-44677/ |website=Royal Society of Edinburgh |access-date=3 December 2025}}</ref> Bacon has held prominent leadership roles, including past President of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, and was named one of the most influential women in UK IT.<ref name=ncee>{{cite web |title=Professor Liz Bacon |url=https://ncee.org.uk/professor-liz-bacon/ |website=NCEE |access-date=3 December 2025}}</ref>
==Early life and education== Bacon was born in Redhill, Surrey, and grew up in Kenley.<ref name=archives>{{cite web |title=Professor Liz Bacon Interview |url=https://archivesit.org.uk/interviews/professor-liz-bacon/ |website=Archives of IT |access-date=3 December 2025}}</ref> She studied Computer science at Thames Polytechnic (now University of Greenwich), completing an industrial placement at CERN during her degree and graduating in 1986.<ref name=archives/> She earned her PhD in Artificial intelligence from the University of Greenwich in 1993.<ref name=archives/>
==Academic career== Before joining Abertay University, Bacon held senior roles at the University of Greenwich, including Professor of Software Engineering and Deputy Pro Vice-Chancellor.<ref name=ceo>{{cite web |title=Liz Bacon: Revolutionizing Education Through Immersive Learning |url=https://ceoaffairs.com/liz-bacon-revolutionizing-education-through-immersive-learning/ |website=CEO Affairs |access-date=3 December 2025}}</ref> She joined Abertay in 2018 as a Professor of Computer Science and served as Deputy Principal and Deputy Vice-Chancellor until she was appointed Principal and Vice-Chancellor in May 2022.<ref name=abertay/>
==Professional leadership== Bacon is a past President of both: * BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT (2014–2015)<ref name=ncee/> * EQANIE, the European Quality Assurance Network for Informatics Education<ref name=ncee/>
She was the inaugural Chair of the BCS Academy of Computing and chaired the Council of Professors and Heads of Computing (CPHC).<ref name=ncee/> She has served as a Trustee and Director of Bletchley Park Trust, and currently sits on the Board of V&A Dundee and JISC’s Audit and Risk Committee.<ref name=ncee/>
==Honors and recognition== * Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (FRSE) (2023)<ref name=rse/> * Principal Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (PFHEA)<ref name=ncee/> * National Teaching Fellow (NTF)<ref name=ncee/> * Named 35th Most Influential Woman in UK IT by ''Computer Weekly'' (2015)<ref name=ncee/> * Fellowships: FBCS, FIScT, and professional membership of ACM<ref name=ncee/> * Winner of the Services to Science & Technology Award at the Scottish Women’s Awards (2023)<ref>{{Cite web |date=September 2023 |title=The 5th Scottish Women’s Awards 2023 Celebrate Remarkable Women for their Excellence |url=https://business-cnct.com/the-5th-scottish-womens-awards-2023-celebrate-remarkable-women-for-their-excellence/ |url-status=live |access-date=8 December 2025 |website=Business Connect}}</ref>
==Advocacy and outreach== Bacon is an advocate for digital education, the societal impact of AI, and diversity in STEM.<ref name=uni>{{cite web |title=AI and Higher Education |url=https://www.universities-scotland.ac.uk/lbaconai/ |website=Universities Scotland |access-date=3 December 2025}}</ref> During her BCS presidency, she founded STELLAR, a senior women’s network aimed at increasing female participation in STEM careers.<ref name=ncee/>
==Research impact== Bacon’s research has significantly influenced the fields of technology-enhanced learning, artificial intelligence, and computer science education. Her work has focused on developing immersive learning environments and applying AI to improve educational outcomes, particularly in areas such as crisis management, eHealth, and serious games.<ref name=ncee/> She has coordinated multiple European Commission-funded projects under FP7 and Horizon 2020, contributing to international standards for computing education and quality assurance.<ref name=archives/> Bacon has published extensively, and is frequently invited to speak worldwide on topics including digital education, the impact of AI, and diversity in STEM.<ref name=uni/>
==Selected publications== * Bacon, L. et al. ''Technology-enhanced learning for crisis management'' (various EU FP7/H2020 projects)<ref name=ncee/> * Bacon, L. ''AI and Higher Education: Opportunities and Challenges''<ref name=uni/>
==References== {{reflist}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bacon, Liz}} Category:British computer scientists Category:Fellows of the Royal Society of Edinburgh Category:Fellows of the British Computer Society Category:Academics of Abertay University Category:Women in computing Category:1963 births Category:Living people