About the School :: Historical highlights

Historical highlights from the School of Computing and Mathematical Sciences
[A history of the University of Greenwich - previously Thames Polytechnic and Woolwich Polytechnic - is available separately.]

2005 - CMS Lecturer Dr. Chris Woollard won the "Denis Wratten Journal Award" of the British Kinematograph, Sound and Television Society for the best published paper in 2005.

2004 - Fire & Safety Engineering Research Group wins European Information Society Technologies Prize for its EXODUS software.

2002 - Fire & Safety Engineering Research Group wins the Queens Anniversary Prize for 2002 for its EXODUS software.

2001 - Fire & Safety Engineering Research Group wins the British Computer Society (BCS) IT Awards for its EXODUS software.

2001 - University of Greenwich hosts the first UK wide e-skills summit to address the IT skills crisis. Conference was attended by MPs, Industry and Academia. Second e-skills summit was also hosted at the University of Greenwich in 2002.

1995 - Hosted and sponsored first joint European and American Social Network Conference (1995). The conference was held in docklands 6-10 July sponsored by the University of Greenwich. It was the first joint international networks conference combining the 15th American 'Sunbelt' conference with the 4th European Conference. Organised by Prof. Martin Everett and Prof. Keith Rennolls attracting 140 papers and 250 participants.

1992 - UCINET software co-developed. "Now most widely used Social Network Software in the world". The software analyses social network data. Its authors are Borgatti, Everett and Freeman who wrote version 4. It was re-engineered at Greenwich by Brian Kneller to form the first windows version (UCINET V). It is now UCINET 6.

1990 - Two lecturers, Pam Morton and Chris Percy, beat all other UK Universities to win the Peugeot-Talbot / Council for Industry & Higher Education Partnership Award for a unique approach to delivering personal and professional skills to undergraduates - techniques are still used successfully today at the University.

1987 - First Sun microcomputer purchased - a Sun 2/120, now in a museum and still working. The machine was named by a researcher who was a fan of the Soap Brookside. At the time, the focus of the soap was on a couple called Damian and Debbie. The Sun 2/120 was called Damian. When a bigger and better machine came along, the Sun 3/60, it was called Debbie. This was followed closely by another Sun 3/60 called Tracy - another character from the soap at the time.

1986 - Pam Morton (ex-lecturer) winner of Sunday Times "British Microcomputing Award" for an "outstanding development in microcomputing in a field of particular social value".

1985 - The ACM Student Chapter at Thames Polytechnic hosted the first European heats for the annual ACM Programming Competition in which 15 teams from all over Europe took part.

1985 - Thames Polytechnic had:

• The only students in the UK attending careers conventions representing a professional body;
• The largest British Computer Society student group (250 members)
• The first ACM Student Chapter with 150 members;
• The first and only student member on the British Computer Society Council
• The new Chairman of the Young Professionals Group - Student Tim McNally.
• With a graduate joining them, three places on the BCS London Branch Committee.

1984 - Five out the six first class honours degrees in Computer Science were awarded to women.

1984 - First UK programming team entered the ACM programming competition in Philadelphia, USA. All entrants were from the computing science degree at Thames Polytechnic. They received a letter of support and encouragement from the Prime Minister at the time, Mrs Margaret Thatcher.

1984 - Thames Polytechnic Students set up the first Young Professionals Group of the British Computer Society.

1984 - First lab of 20 genuine IBM PCs purchased for student use.

1980 - 1990 The University hosted its annual Grace Hopper lecture which was attended by students, staff and industry. Grace Hopper was a pioneer in computer science and inventor of the compiler. In 1985 she gave the annual lecture at Thames Polytechnic to an enthralled audience. In 1986, Mrs Steve Shirley Founder and Life President of the Information Technology Company, F.I. Group Plc and considered to be one of the most outstanding business women of our time, presented the speech at the annual Grace Hopper lecture.

Late 70s - Received a grant for the four of the first microcomputers from IBM which formed the basis of our first microcomputing laboratory.

1973 - The first degree in Computer Science gained CNAA and British Computer Society approval for a start in 1973; it was built on an already running HND in Computing.

Early 70s - We were the first Polytechnic to get on to Arpanet (the precursor of the Internet). Tom Crowe (ex-lecturer) gained an agreement from UCL who were organising the British end of ARPA to get us linked.

1965 - Education Secretary Anthony Crossland opened Thames Polytechnic Computer Centre and associated buildings were opened in 1965. In his speech he announced the setting up of the Polytechnics to provide an increasing focus on a more direct connection between academia and the world of employment. A plaque at the Woolwich site commemorated the event.

1934 - First sandwich degrees in the country delivered by our School of Engineering.