Liz Burd

BIOGRAPHY AND QUALIFICATIONS

Liz is Professor and Provost at Griffith University, and previously Deputy Vice Chancellor (Education) at Griffith University, Pro Vice-Chancellor at University of Newcastle, Australia and Professor of Computing and Dean at the University of Durham, UK. From 2005-2011 Liz was the Director UK’s Centre for Excellence in Computing. Liz is globally recognised having received 5 University awards for enhancing computing education. She has held research collaborations with IBM, Microsoft, BT, BAE and Logica and received $12m in funding. Liz has produced over 80 articles and 40 keynotes.

Liz was a Director for the IEEE (2019-2020) and is member of the IEEE's Audit committee. In 2020, Liz led one of the President appointed IEEE Ad Hoc committees with John Walz examining future-proofing heathy volunteer pipelines throughout the IEEE. She has represented the Computer Society BoG for 8 years including taking roles of VP for EAB and MGA, and from 2014-2015 as the Society’s 1st VP. She has also been actively engaged with IEEE activities currently chairing the IEEE EAB Web Portals Committee and previously the Pre-University Coordinating Committees. She has been a member of the IEEE EAB for 6 years, IEEE TAB for the last 2 years and is currently a member of the TAB management committee.

Liz has vast experience of the Board membership and the general business of the IEEE and the Computer Society as shown by the variety and breadth of the activities indicated above. She has worked directly, and by their invitation, with the leaders of TAB, and IEEE president and past and elect. Such good working relations with the senior leadership is essential to support the Computer Society achieve their goals. She has also experience of working with sections in two regions (8 and 10) as well as supporting the British and Australian Computer Socieities.

ENDORSEMENT

Kathy Land (2020 IEEE President-Elect)

"It is an honor to endorse Liz. She is a true leader. Having served as in past executive Computer Society (CS) Roles, as well as a Division Director for the IEEE CS she knows the CS and IEEE inside and out. She is open and trustworthy, engaging and accessible, plus - I have the utmost confidence that Liz will use her tenacity, desire for change, and understanding of the IEEE's political landscape to make a difference. I have worked with Liz since 2010, when we both sat on the CS Board of Governors. Liz is an independent thinker, a doer, a dedicated volunteer with IEEE's best interest at heart, and someone whose advice and counsel I often seek. She is certainly not afraid of doing the work required to help IEEE improve. She is an inspiration, has my highest possible recommendation. If elected, she will serve IEEE and its membership with distinction."

POSITION STATEMENT

As the world comes to grips with the impact of COVID-19, and for Region 10 adverse weather events including cyclone and bushfires it would be easy to question the relevance of professional organisations. It has become clear that professional associations are being disrupted; the "open" community challenges the way we present and consume information. For instance, the internet has changed the nature of education; no longer is there limited access to learning resources. Now, the challenge is information is so plentiful it’s difficult to identify the quality and reliability of that information. Similar are the challenges with research publications. Approaches IEEE once used to raise revenue are being replaced with new cheaper, more agile players and a host of low-quality competitors. The IEEE has been slow to respond, so we need to act quickly else we will be left behind. If elected I will use this opportunity to get the IEEE to consider how these technologies can be used for the strategic advantage of its members, Societies and generally for its own advancement.

Yet, and perhaps because of the crises we faced in 2020, I see a strong future for professional societies. Now, more clearly than ever, we value community and technological innovation. Our scientific international and inter-disciplinary communities will help us navigate these most difficult times. The IEEE and especially the Computer Society has the power to make a difference. The strength of the IEEE is therefore in its Societies, events and networks but the ‘value add’ that these provide is not truly realized, or in fact in many cases, appreciated. The Computer Society has recently led the way in defining new membership models. However, while shaping personalized membership is an important step forward, collaboration across individual Societies and other similar professional association is an important next step to truly support inter- and transdisciplinary cooperation.

We, the members, want value for money and access to relevant, high quality materials that are appropriate to our fields of interest that will help us to develop our careers and make a difference in society. One important move I believe the IEEE should take, is to better exploit the commonality of interest across its relevant groups. Such collaboration, to benefit members, is something that I will strongly champion using my experience and existing networks.

If elected, I will help the IEEE transition to new modes of working, to better recognise the achievements of all members and to facilitate new networking opportunities to support multi-disciplinary and international engagement for local and global community building.

Through my extensive interaction across the regions I am aware that the needs of communities worldwide differ. I believe we must do more to support Regional variation. If elected, I will promote more effective ways to support localised professional development. Also I explore more effective ways for members to engage with the IEEE - worldwide, and enable more networking opportunities to support industry, academic, and interdisciplinary partnerships with local and international community building.

Thus, through this role I intend to demonstrate the value of Societies and help the IEEE capitalise on its strengths so that the value of membership is clearly evident to all.

Griffith University Profile

IEEE ACTIVITIES

Liz has been an active IEEE volunteer since the time she was a PhD student. Her contributions have covered most areas of the IEEE, including conferences, journals, education and local engagement for sections in Region 8 and 10. Her most recent work is via her joint leadership of one of two 2020 President Ad Hoc working groups. This working group called the ‘Pipeline project’ is examining ways in which volunteers can be better recognised for their contributions and to find more effective ways of encouraging new volunteers into the organization. Liz is also chair of the IEEE Audit Committee.

A selection of Liz’s volunteer roles are below:

COMMITTEES/BOARDS:

Tab Management Committee 2020-
IEEE Board of Directors 2019-
IEEE Audit Committee, Secretary 2019, Chair 2020
TAB representative on Student Advisory Committee 2018-2019
Educational Products Editorial Board Editor-in-Chief 2017-2019
Society and Council Review Committee (Member) 2016-2018
TAB Strategic Planning Committee (Member) 2017-2018
IEEE Awards Board (Member) 2016
VP CS EAB 2010-2012
VP CS MGA 2013-2015
CS 1st VP 2014-2015
CS 2nd VP 2013
IEEE Computer Society Board of Governors 2011-2015, 2019-
Pre-University Education Committee (Chair) 2011-2013
EAB Strategic Planning Committee (SPC) (Member) 2011-2012
Education Portals Committee (Chair) 2014-2016
IEEE EAB Awards Board (Member) 2013-2014
IEEE EAB Nominations Committee (Member) 2015

REGIONS:

Liz has supported a number of Region 8 and Region 10 events

SECTIONS/CHAPTERS:

Liz is an active member of the Sydney branch

SOCIETY:

Member of Computer Society
Member of Education Society

CONFERENCES:

Supported CS’s TEAL conferences last 2 years
Supported CS’s FIE conference for 2 years
Been active member (reviewer, steering Committee and program chair) of many IEEE conferences for over 20 years

MAJOR IEEE ACCOMPLISHMENTS

Demonstrating vision and bringing initiatives to implementation, including:

TryComputing – (now on www.tryengineering.org)

Liz is the creator and editor of this site
She submitted and presented to NIC for funding
Launched in 2012, Liz has continued to led this initiative
Liz worked with CS international Accreditation providers to link accredited programs
Obtained new funding from Foundation for enhancements in 2015
Currently working with consultants to add new approved lesson plans

IEEE Spark

She is the lead editor on this eZine
It is a quarterly magazine describing new technology innovation for kids aged 12+
She initially got money from NIC to set up the site
And after 2 years of petitioning she got IEEE EAB build funding into their baseline funding

Seeking new ways of engaging with the Membership

Animation competitions - Led competitions that involved getting members and their friends and family to generate 30 second clips of new technology innovations.
Smarter Planet Competition – Initiated this IBM/IEEE competition (with Arthur Winston) with first round between UK and Boston
Membership campaigns – Last year Liz went to China to promote the Society. She did this through TAB.
Membership training – Ran sessions in China, Germany, Australia (x 3) and UK (x 3)