Tony Hey

Tony Hey. A British computer scientist and science administrator renowned for his pioneering work in parallel computing and his leadership in the development of e-Science infrastructure in the United Kingdom. His career spans academia, including positions at the University of Southampton and California Institute of Technology, and industry, most notably as a vice president at Microsoft Research. He has also held influential roles in UK science policy, serving as Director of the e-Science Core Programme and later as Chief Executive of the Science and Technology Facilities Council.

Early life and education

Born in Bristol, he attended Bristol Grammar School before pursuing his undergraduate studies in Physics at Worcester College, Oxford. He remained at the University of Oxford for his doctoral research, completing a DPhil in theoretical physics under the supervision of the renowned mathematician Roger Penrose. His thesis work focused on foundational aspects of quantum theory and general relativity, providing a strong mathematical foundation for his later career shift into computational science.

Career and research

His academic career began with a lectureship at the University of Southampton, where he became a professor of computer science. During this period, his research shifted decisively towards high-performance computing, making significant contributions to the theory and application of parallel computing architectures and languages. He co-authored the influential textbook *"The Feynman Lectures on Computation"* with Richard Feynman, based on a course he helped organize at the California Institute of Technology, where he also held a visiting professorship. In 2001, he was appointed Director of the UK's e-Science Core Programme, a pivotal initiative funded by the Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council to create a national Grid computing infrastructure for collaborative scientific research. He joined Microsoft Research in 2005, serving as Vice President, where he oversaw multidisciplinary research labs and championed the company's engagement with the academic and open science communities. In 2011, he returned to the public sector as Chief Executive of the Science and Technology Facilities Council, responsible for major national facilities like the Rutherford Appleton Laboratory and the Daresbury Laboratory.

Awards and honors

His contributions have been recognized with numerous prestigious awards and honors. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (FREng) and a Fellow of the British Computer Society (FBCS). For his services to science, he was appointed a Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) in the 2005 Birthday Honours. He is also a recipient of the IEEE Computer Society's Sidney Fernbach Award, a major international prize in the field of high-performance computing. He has been awarded honorary doctorates from several universities, including the University of Edinburgh and the University of Southampton.

Personal life

He is married and has two children. Beyond his professional work, he is a passionate advocate for public engagement with science and has been involved with organizations like the British Science Association. He is also an avid reader with a particular interest in the history of science and maintains connections with the academic communities in both the United Kingdom and the United States.

Selected publications

* Hey, T., & Feynman, R. P. (1996). *The Feynman Lectures on Computation*. Addison-Wesley. * Hey, T., & Papay, K. (2004). *The Computing Universe: A Journey through a Revolution*. Cambridge University Press. * Hey, T. (Ed.). (2003). *Grid Computing: Making the Global Infrastructure a Reality*. John Wiley & Sons. * Numerous research papers in journals such as *Parallel Computing*, *Computer Physics Communications*, and *Nature* on topics ranging from parallel algorithms to data-intensive science.

Category:British computer scientists Category:1946 births Category:Living people Category:Fellows of the Royal Academy of Engineering Category:Commanders of the Order of the British Empire