Alec Cameron (academic)
{{Short description|Australian academic}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{BLP sources|date=September 2017}}
{{Infobox officeholder
| name = Alec Cameron
| image = Alec Cameron - Sep 2016.jpg
| alt = Vice-Chancellor of RMIT University
| caption = Cameron in September 2016
| office = Vice-Chancellor and President of the
Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology
| chancellor = Peggy O'Neal
| term_start = January 2022
| term_end =
| succeeding =
| predecessor = Martin Bean
| successor =
| birth_date = {{Birth-date and age|5 February 1963}}
| birth_place = Australia
| alma_mater = University of Sydney (BSc)
University of Oxford (PhD)
}}
Alexander (Alec) John Cameron (born 5 February 1963) is an Australian engineer and university administrator, currently serving as Vice-Chancellor and President of RMIT University.{{Cite web |title=Professor Alec Cameron |url=https://www.rmit.edu.au/about/governance-management/governance/council/council-members/professor-alec-cameron |access-date=2022-08-12 |website=www.rmit.edu.au |language=en}}
Early life and education
Cameron was educated at Knox Grammar School (1969–1980) where he was school captain in Year 12.{{Cite journal|last=Knox Grammar School.|date=1980|title=Year 12 Valete.|url=|journal=Knox Grammarian.|volume=|issue=|pages=|doi=|issn=}}
He attended the University of Sydney in 1981–1985, where he graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Pure Mathematics and Physics in 1984, and a Bachelor of Engineering degree with First Class Honours and the University Medal in 1986.{{Cite book|title=Register of Rhodes Scholars 1903-1995|publisher=Rhodes Trust|year=1996|isbn=0952769506|location=Oxford|pages=428}}
While at Sydney University he played in the breakaway (flanker) position in the university club's first grade rugby union XV.
He was selected as the Rhodes scholar for New South Wales in 1986. At the University of Oxford, he was a member of University College, and obtained his DPhil in the Robotics Research Group in 1989, under the supervision of Hugh Durrant-Whyte.{{cite journal |last1=Cameron |first1=Alec |last2= Durrant-Whyte |first2=Hugh |date=October 1990 |title=A Bayesian Approach to Optimal Sensor Placement |journal=The International Journal of Robotics Research |volume=9 |issue=5 |pages=70–88 |doi=10.1177/027836499000900505 |s2cid=5305762 |url=https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:ad201132-d418-4ee4-a9d5-3d79bd4876a7 }} He was a member of Oxford University Rugby Football Club and won a Blue in Rugby in 1988.{{Cite book|title=Register of Rhodes Scholars 1903-1995|publisher=Rhodes Trust|year=1996|isbn=0952769506|location=Oxford|pages=428}}
Career
Cameron joined Philips Research Laboratories in Briarcliff Manor, New York, as a Senior Member of Research Staff from 1989 to 1993.
He then returned to Sydney in 1993 as the founding Program Director of the Australian Graduate School of Engineering Innovation; an Advanced Engineering Centre, jointly established by the University of Sydney and the University of Technology, Sydney.
Cameron then joined Telstra Corporation, holding several senior roles from 1996 to 2000. He then held other positions in the IT sector, with Comindico, Alcatel and Sun Microsystems.{{Cite web|title=Cameron, Prof. Alexander John|url=https://doi.org/10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U288261|website=Who's Who UK 2022|doi=10.1093/ww/9780199540884.013.U288261}}
In 2003, he joined the University of New South Wales as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Resource and Infrastructure). In 2006, he led a review of the Faculty of Commerce and Economics and the Australian Graduate School of Management, leading to a recommendation for their merger, He was appointed as the inaugural dean to achieve this merger and lead the newly created UNSW Business School, holding this position until December 2012. He was president of the Australian Business Deans' Council from 2014 to 2015.
Cameron commenced as Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Education) at the University of Western Australia, in January 2013. In 2015, he attended the Advanced Management Program at Harvard Business School.
He commenced as Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive at Aston University in September 2016.{{cite news |last=Brown |first=Graeme |date=25 February 2016 |title=Aston University appoints Australian academic as new vice-chancellor |url=http://www.birminghampost.co.uk/news/regional-affairs/aston-university-appoints-australian-academic-10945493 |work=Birmingham Post |access-date=18 September 2017}} In 2018, he was one of 5 candidates for The Guardian University Award for the Most Inspiring Leader.{{cite news |author= |title=Higher education's most inspiring leader 2018 - the shortlist |url=https://www.theguardian.com/higher-education-network/2018/mar/22/higher-educations-most-inspiring-leader-2018-the-shortlist |work=The Guardian |date=22 March 2018 |access-date=8 August 2018 }} Cameron has held several Board positions in association with his role at Aston including:{{Cite web|title=Vice-Chancellor and Chief Executive Professor Alec Cameron|url=https://www2.aston.ac.uk/about/management-structure/alec-cameron|website=Aston University}}
- Board member of Midlands Innovation and chair from 2019 to 2021.
- Board member of Universities West Midlands and chair from 2017 to 2019.
- Board member of Midlands Engine from 2019 to 2021.
- Board member of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership 2019–2021.
He commenced as Vice-Chancellor and President of RMIT University in January 2022, replacing Martin Bean.{{Cite web |date=2021-07-27 |title=Alec Cameron swaps Aston for RMIT |url=https://www.timeshighereducation.com/news/alec-cameron-lead-rmit |access-date=2022-08-12 |website=Times Higher Education (THE) |language=en}} Professor Aleks Subic succeeded Cameron as Vice-Chancellor of Aston University in August 2022.{{Cite web |title=Aston University appoints new Vice-Chancellor {{!}} Aston University |url=https://www.aston.ac.uk/latest-news/aston-university-appoints-new-vice-chancellor |access-date=2023-02-24 |website=www.aston.ac.uk}}
Personal life
Publications
- {{cite journal |last1=Cameron |first1=Alec |last2= Durrant-Whyte |first2=Hugh |date=October 1990 |title=A Bayesian Approach to Optimal Sensor Placement |journal=The International Journal of Robotics Research |volume=9 |issue=5 |pages=70–88 |doi=10.1177/027836499000900505 |s2cid=5305762 |url=https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:ad201132-d418-4ee4-a9d5-3d79bd4876a7 }}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{S-start}}
{{s-aca}}
{{s-bef|before=Martin Bean}}
{{s-ttl|title=Vice-Chancellor of RMIT University|years=2022–}}
{{s-inc}}
{{s-bef|before=Julia King}}
{{s-ttl|title=Vice-Chancellor of Aston University| years = 2016–2022}}
{{s-aft|after=Aleks Subic}}
{{S-end}}
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cameron, Alec}}
Category:Vice-chancellors of Aston University
Category:University of Sydney alumni
Category:Alumni of University College, Oxford
Category:Australian Rhodes Scholars
Category:Academic staff of the University of Western Australia
Category:Academic staff of the University of New South Wales
Category:People educated at Knox Grammar School