McMaster hires Dr. Richard Paige as new computing prof

McMaster University has hired Dr. Richard Paige as a new Professor in the Department of Computing & Software.


After completing his undergraduate degree at McMaster University (before the Student Centre was even an architectural blueprint), Dr. Richard Paige continued his postgraduate studies at the University of Toronto where he specialized in software engineering and formal methods. It was in Toronto where the fundamental principles that underpin his work were set: he wanted to do applicable research with impact, ideally in collaboration with industry, emphasizing knowledge transfer. And knowledge transfer requires close collaboration with students, via teaching and apprenticeships. He still holds to these principles today.

Richard commenced his academic career in the Department of Computer Science at York University, in North York, Toronto, Canada, in 1997. He spent an enjoyable four years there, and then was claimed as a souvenir by his now wife, who needed to return to the UK. Richard joined the University of York, UK, in 2001 as an assistant professor. He refocused his research on Model-Based Engineering and Safety-Critical Systems, with side interests in Enterprise Systems, Cloud Computing, Security and Data Analytics. He was promoted to Full Professor in 2009 and was awarded a Personal Chair. At that time, he set up the Enterprise Systems group at York, and also founded the Engineering Doctorate Centre in Large-Scale Complex IT Systems. They won funding for 40 postgraduate students over a period of 5 years, and his responsibilities included finding industrial sponsors and supervisors for all of those students.

In 2015, Richard stepped away from the Centre and took on the role of Deputy Head of Department, responsible for Research. His particular focus was on establishing a new department research strategy as well as structures to implement that strategy (e.g., new research groups and themes). In parallel, he led the department’s endeavours towards its submission for the 2021 Research Excellence Framework. Alongside this, he led a research group of 8 postdoctoral fellows, around 20 PhD students, and three other faculty. His return to Canada will allow him to take on new challenges at a very exciting time for McMaster University and the Department of Computing and Software. There are great opportunities out there, and he is thrilled to be a part of McMaster’s efforts to take advantage of them!

Source: eng.mcmaster.ca/cas/news/mcmaster-engineering-announces-new-faculty-appointments