Jane Hillston facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jane Hillston
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Prof Jane Hillston in 2021.
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| Born | 1963 (age 61–62) |
| Alma mater | University of York Lehigh University University of Edinburgh |
| Known for | PEPA |
| Awards | Roger Needham Award (2004), Suffrage Science Award (2018) |
| Scientific career | |
| Institutions | University of Edinburgh |
| Thesis | A Compositional Approach to Performance Modelling (1994) |
| Doctoral advisor | Robert J. Pooley Julian Bradfield |
Jane Elizabeth Hillston (born in 1963) is a British computer scientist. She is a professor at the University of Edinburgh in Scotland. Her work involves using mathematical models to understand how computer systems and other complex things behave. She also used to be the head of the School of Informatics at the university.
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Early Life and Education
Jane Hillston studied mathematics at the University of York, earning her first degree in 1985. She then went to Lehigh University in the United States. There, she earned a master's degree in mathematics in 1987.
Becoming a Computer Scientist
She later studied at the University of Edinburgh, where she earned her PhD in Computer Science in 1994. Her PhD research was about a way to model how well computer systems perform. This important work was recognized with an award in 1995. It was also published as a book by Cambridge University Press.
Research and Career
After finishing her PhD, Jane Hillston continued her career at the University of Edinburgh. She worked as a research fellow and then became a lecturer in 1995. She became a professor of quantitative modelling in 2006.
Leading the School of Informatics
From 2018 to 2023, Professor Hillston was the head of the School of Informatics at the University of Edinburgh. This is a big role where she helped lead the computer science department.
What is PEPA?
Professor Hillston is well-known for creating something called PEPA. PEPA is a special language that computer scientists use. It helps them understand and predict how complex systems, like computer networks or even biological processes, will work over time. She also helped create Bio-PEPA, which is used to study how things happen inside living cells.
Editor of a Science Journal
Since January 2023, Professor Hillston has been the Editor-in-Chief of Proceedings of the Royal Society A. This is a very important science journal. She is the first woman to hold this top position in the journal's history. She also helps edit other important computer science journals.
Awards and Recognition
Jane Hillston has received many awards for her important work in computer science.
Roger Needham Award
In 2004, she received the first Roger Needham Award. This award is given to a top computer researcher in the UK who has recently earned their PhD.
Other Major Honours
- In 2007, she became a member of the Royal Society of Edinburgh.
- In 2018, she joined the Academia Europaea, which is a group of leading European scholars.
- She also received a Suffrage Science award in 2018 for her contributions to computer science. This award celebrates women in science.
- In 2021, she was awarded the RSE Lord Kelvin Medal.
- In May 2022, she was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. This is one of the highest honors for scientists in the UK.
Supporting Women in Science
Professor Hillston helped the University of Edinburgh's School of Informatics earn an Athena SWAN Silver Award. This award shows that the department is a supportive place for female students studying computer science.
Member of the Order of the British Empire
In 2023, she was made a Member of the Order of the British Empire (MBE). This honor was given to her for her great contributions to computer science and for supporting women in science.
