Dr Margaret Mary WEST

Senior Research Fellow



Department of Informatics,
School of Computing and Engineering,
University of Huddersfield,
Huddersfield,
West Yorkshire,
HD1 3DH,
UK.

email: m.m.west@hud.ac.uk.
telephone (direct):> (+44) (0) 1484 472302
 telephone (internal): 3042
fax: (+44) (0) 1484 421106
room number: CW2/06

I am currently Visiting Senior Research fellow and the picture shows (from left to right) myself, Dr Beth Richardson and Dr Stephen Cresswell.

Short Biography

My first interests were in Applied Mathematics: I graduated from the University of Liverpool with a Bachelors degree in Mathematics followed by a Masters degree in Theoretical Physics. I then lectured in mathematics and statistics at Colleges in North East London and Leeds. After a career break during which I had my children I returned to lecturing part-time. During this period I also studied part-time for a Masters degree in Computing at Bradford University: I obtained this in 1988, specialising in logic programming and formal methods - in particular the Z Notation .

Between 1989 and early 1996 I was involved with a series of research projects at the University of Leeds. The longest of these was my involvement with the DRIVE Safely consortium (EC Project) which in 1992 produced a draft European standard for the development and certification of safe Advanced Transport Telematic (ATT) Systems. Joint work with European partners also included collaboration on case studies, one of which, the UK Pelican Controller, had had problems reported concerning its operation. The study involved formalisation using the Z notation and the work resulted in Pelican equipment throughout the UK being adjusted in line with project recommendations and a re-write of its Department of Transport specification. Other projects conducted at Leeds University involved scheduling and timetabling. I was a member of a group which successfully timetabled the University of Leeds first and second year teaching modules for 1993-4. Towards the end of my time at Leeds I registered there for a Part-Time Ph.D. and I obtained my doctorate in 2002: Issues in Validation and Executability of Formal Specifications in the Z Notation.

In 1996 I commenced research work and teaching at the University of Huddersfield. During my first two years I contributed to the IMPRESS project which involved air traffic control procedures. The project was conducted with the cooperation of NATS, and involved formalising air traffic separation criteria for flight plans over the North Atlantic. A later project was supported by Railtrack: the object of the project was the continuation of work on reliability. I officially retired in 2005 and have continued at Huddersfield as a researcher and part-time lecturer. My main research work since then has been with the Planning group at Huddersfield.

I am a Member of the BCS and between 1991 and 1997 was a member of the West Yorkshire Branch Committee (first as Newsletter Editor then as Secretary). I am a member of BCS-Women, joining shortly after its inception, and since 1993 I have been a Committee Member of the Formal Aspects of Computer Science (FACS) BCS specialist group. My first role was that of BCS Technical Board representative and I am currently Newsletter Editor.

For the latest issues of the FACS Newsletter see FACS FACTS (November 2012) and FACS FACTS (December 2011).

Previous issues are at BCS-FACS newsletters.

For my research papers and reports - see below.

My interests are in my family and (when I have time) fell-walking and swimming.

Research

I have recently given a series of talks about B AMN and Tool Support. The first took place on 27th February 2012 and was introductory. The second talk took place on June 11th 2012 and involved proof and proof obligations.

Slides and tutorial materials for both talks can be found HERE

My research interests are: