Professor Leslie has been interim Director of UIS since 2017 and was previously PVC for Research and Head of the Computer Laboratory.
Professor Leslie was confirmed as Director of University Information Services (UIS) with effect from 1 May, although he has been acting in that capacity, as interim Director, since September 2017.
Professor Leslie has been at Cambridge since 1978 when he came here to study for a PhD in Computer Science. He was Head of the Computer Laboratory from 1999-2004 and the University’s Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Research from 2004-2009. He was elected a Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering in 2009 and has been a Fellow of Christ's College since 1985.
University Information Services was formed in 2014 through the merger of four previously separate IT services: the University Computing Service, the Management Information Services Division, the High Performance Computing Service, and the Centre for Applied Research in Educational Technologies. The aim of the merger was to create a single organisation capable of providing outstanding information support and digital infrastructure for the University’s research, teaching and administration.
Now based in the Roger Needham Building on the West Cambridge Site, UIS employs approximately 300 staff across its eight divisions.
Professor Leslie said: “I am very pleased to have been given the opportunity to lead Information Services. There are enormous opportunities in front of us to contribute to all aspects of the mission of the University. UIS has a critical role in providing academics with the platforms they need to deliver Cambridge’s world leading teaching and research. We have great people in UIS and it is my aim to ensure that they have the space and opportunity they need to make the University thrive. ”
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Stephen Toope said: “Cambridge needs to be at the forefront of the digital transformation of education and research and this transformation requires academic engagement and leadership to ensure that it is consistent with our mission and academic culture. Professor Leslie brings a valuable academic perspective to this role as well as a strong track record of leadership in the University.
“I am very pleased that there is now certainty on the leadership of UIS, and look forward to continuing to work with Ian to ensure that the University can deliver the best possible information services and digital infrastructure for its staff and students.”
Professor Leslie will retain his role as Senior Adviser to the Vice-Chancellor with special responsibility for Information System Strategy and Environmental Sustainability, and remains a University-nominated director of Cambridge Innovation Capital. He is stepping down from the Robert Sansom Professorship of Computer Science, a position he has held since 1998.