Tom Crick

{{short description|British interdisciplinary computer scientist (born 1981)}}

{{Infobox scientist

| honorific_prefix = Professor

| name = Tom Crick

| honorific_suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|MBE|PhD|CEng|CSci|FBCS|FIET|FLSW|FAcSS}}

| birth_date = {{Birth year and age|1981|01}}

| birth_place = Oxford, UK

| education = Wheatley Park School

| workplaces = University of Bath
Cardiff Metropolitan University
Swansea University

| alma_mater = University of Bath (BSc, PhD)

| thesis_title = Superoptimisation: Provably Optimal Code Generation using Answer Set Programming

| thesis_url = https://researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/superoptimisation-provably-optimal-code-generation-using-answer-s

| thesis_year = 2009

| known_for = Computer science education, Artificial intelligence, Data science, Technology policy

| awards = IET Achievement Medal (2022)
BCS Lovelace Medal (2023)
Hugh Owen Medal (2023)
BSA Honorary Fellow (2024)

| website = {{URL|https://www.swansea.ac.uk/staff/thomas.crick/}}

| image = Professor Tom Crick.png

| caption = Crick in May 2023

}}

Tom Crick (born January 1981) is a British interdisciplinary computer scientist. He is Chief Scientific Adviser at the UK Government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport, and Professor of Digital Policy at Swansea University. Alongside his academic work, Crick has led major reforms to the science and technology curriculum in Wales, with related contributions to digital/technology policy in the UK.

Early life and education

Crick was raised and educated in Wheatley, Oxfordshire.{{Cite web |title=Professor Tom Crick MBE |url=https://archivesit.org.uk/interviews/professor-tom-crick-mbe/ |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=Archives of IT |language=en-US}} He completed his undergraduate and postgraduate studies in computer science at the University of Bath, having been sponsored through his undergraduate degree by ARM. His doctoral research, funded by the EPSRC, considered superoptimisation by developing practical strategies to generate provably optimal code using answer set programming.{{Cite web |title=Superoptimisation: Provably Optimal Code Generation using Answer Set Programming |url=https://researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/studentTheses/superoptimisation-provably-optimal-code-generation-using-answer-s |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=University of Bath| language=en}}

Career

After a period as a postdoc on ALIVE,{{Cite web |title=ALIVE |url=https://researchportal.bath.ac.uk/en/projects/alive-2 |access-date=2024-09-24 |website=University of Bath | language=en}} a European Commission FP7-funded project at the University of Bath, Crick was appointed lecturer in computer science at Cardiff Metropolitan University in 2009, becoming a full professor in 2016. He was recognised as a UK National Teaching Fellow in 2014.{{Cite web |title=National Teaching Fellows 2014: Dr Tom Crick |url=https://www.advance-he.ac.uk/ntfs/dr-tom-crick |access-date=2024-09-24 |website=Advance HE| language=en}} He moved to a research chair at Swansea University in 2018, becoming Deputy Pro-Vice-Chancellor for Civic Mission in 2021. Crick joined the UK Government's Department for Culture, Media and Sport as Chief Scientific Adviser in 2023, and is the youngest government CSA to date.{{Cite web |title=DCMS Chief Scientific Adviser: Professor Tom Crick MBE |url=https://www.gov.uk/government/people/tom-crick |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=UK Government |language=en}}

In 2017, Crick was elected Vice-President of BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT{{Cite web |title=Google DeepMind's Demis Hassabis among the recipients of prestigious computing award - BCS Lovelace Medal 2023 |url=https://www.bcs.org/articles-opinion-and-research/google-deepmind-s-demis-hassabis-among-the-recipients-of-prestigious-computing-award-bcs-lovelace-medal-2023/ |date=2023-11-07|access-date=2024-09-11 |website=BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT |language=en-gb}} for a three-year term. He has also served in a number of senior elected positions in the Association for Computing Machinery, including Vice-Chair of ACM Europe Council and a Member-at-Large of ACM Council.{{Cite web |title=ACM Volunteer Recognition: Tom Crick |url=https://www.acm.org/volunteers/volunteer/crick_2948794 |access-date=2024-11-27 |website=Association for Computing Machinery |language=en}}

Crick is editor-in-chief (2021-present) of The Computer Journal,{{Cite web |title=Editorial Board — The Computer Journal |url=https://academic.oup.com/comjnl/pages/Editorial_Board |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=Oxford University Press |language=en}} published by Oxford University Press, and an editor (2020-present) of the Wales Journal of Education,{{Cite web |title=Editorial Team — Wales Journal of Education |url=https://journal.uwp.co.uk/wje/site/editorialteam/ |access-date=2024-09-28 |website=University of Wales Press |language=en}} published by University of Wales Press.

He was also an inaugural Commissioner of the National Infrastructure Commission for Wales from 2018 to 2022.{{Cite web |title=Our Directors: Professor Tom Crick MBE |url=https://corporate.dwrcymru.com/en/about-us/governance/our-directors/professor-tom-crick |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=Dŵr Cymru Welsh Water |language=en}} Crick has previously been a trustee of the British Science Association and the Campaign for Science and Engineering (both 2011-2017).{{Who's Who |title=CRICK, Prof. Thomas |id = U289185| edition = online|date=2023-12-01|access-date=2024-09-28 |language=en}} He was appointed a trustee of Cumberland Lodge in 2024.{{Cite web |title=Meet Our Team: Cumberland Lodge Leadership and Staff |url=

https://www.cumberlandlodge.ac.uk/about/people/?_sft_team=trustees |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=Cumberland Lodge |language=en-GB}}

Computer science education and digital skills

Crick has been involved with the reform of the school-level science and technology curriculum in Wales since 2010.{{Cite web |title=The future of science and technology in the Welsh education system |url=https://www.swansea.ac.uk/research/research-highlights/culture-communication-heritage/reforming-education-in-wales/ |website=Swansea University |language=en-GB | access-date=2024-09-11}}{{Cite web |title=A Century of Inspiring People: Tom Crick |url=https://www.swansea.ac.uk/centenary2020/century-of-inspiring-people/tom-crick/ |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=Swansea University}}{{Cite conference | date=2011 | title=Computing at school: stimulating computing education in the UK |url=https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/2094131.2094158 | last1=Crick| first1=T.|last2=Sentance|first2=S. | conference=Koli Calling'11|location=Koli, Finland |publisher=ACM |doi=10.1145/2094131.2094158 }}{{cite journal |last1=Brown |first1=N.C.C. |last2=Sentance |first2=S.|last3=Crick|first3=T.|last4=Humphreys|first4=S. |date=2014 |title=Restart: The Resurgence of Computer Science in UK Schools |journal=ACM Transactions on Computing Education |volume=14| issue=2 |pages=1-22 |doi=10.1145/2602484 |url=https://dl.acm.org/doi/abs/10.1145/2602484}} In 2013, he was appointed by the Welsh Government to chair an independent review of the ICT curriculum in Wales.{{Cite web |title=The ICT Steering Group's Report to the Welsh Government |url=https://www.gov.wales/sites/default/files/publications/2018-11/the-ict-steering-group-s-report-to-the-welsh-government.pdf |website=Welsh Government |language=en-GB | date=2013-09-01|access-date=2024-09-29}} Crick argued that Welsh learners were not being given the necessary skills or agency to thrive in our digital world.{{Cite news |date=2014-05-23 |title=Wales' schools 'left behind' in digital age, experts claim |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-27526644 |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=BBC News |language=en-GB}}* {{TED talk | tom_crick_mbe_digital_and_data_savvy_computer_literate_key_for_future_citizens | Digitally Engaged, Data Savvy and Computationally Literate: Key Competencies for Future Citizens? | Tom Crick}}

In 2015-2016, Crick chaired the development of the bilingual Digital Competence Framework{{Cite web |date=2018 |title=Digital Competence Framework: your questions answered |url=https://hwb.gov.wales/storage/85f69bca-0134-426d-bff1-c46b4c1d067b/digital-competence-framework-your| website=Welsh Government|access-date=2024-09-11}} in Wales, which elevated digital competence (the skills, knowledge and attitudes required to be confident in the use of technologies{{Cite conference | date=2022 | title=Rethinking Digital Competencies in the New Curriculum for Wales |url=https://dl.acm.org/doi/10.1145/3502717.3532145 | last1=Crick| first1=T. | conference=ITiCSE'22|location=Dublin, Ireland |publisher=ACM |doi=10.1145/3502717.3532145 }}) to the same statutory position as literacy and numeracy in the new Curriculum for Wales. It outlined how schools could incorporate student-centred digital competency into their local curriculum.

He then led the development of the Science & Technology strand of the new Curriculum for Wales in 2017.{{Cite web |date=2019-03-06 |title=Yr Athro Tom Crick - Gwyddoniaeth a Thechnoleg / Professor Tom Crick, Science and Technology |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RPJcb44P4h4| website=YouTube |publisher=Addysg Cymru/Education Wales|access-date=2024-09-11}} His efforts united the traditional sciences (physics, chemistry and biology) with computer science and design & technology.{{cite journal |last1=Moller |first1=F. |last2=Crick |first2=T. |date=2018 |title=A university-based model for supporting computer science curriculum reform |journal=Journal of Computers in Education |volume=5 |pages=415-434 |doi=10.1007/s40692-018-0117-x |doi-access=free }} The new curriculum was published in January 2020 and started phasing in for all schools in Wales from September 2022 onwards.{{Cite web |title=Curriculum for Wales - Hwb |url=https://hwb.gov.wales/curriculum-for-wales |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=Welsh Government |language=en}} Crick was also appointed Chair of the National Network of Excellence in Science & Technology,{{Cite news |title=£4m to improve school results in science and technology |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-politics-38534139 |date=2017-01-07|access-date=2024-09-24 |website=BBC News}} a £4m Welsh Government strategic investment which focused on supporting STEM teachers in partnership with higher education institutions.{{Cite web |title=Drive to improve science and technology in schools begins |url=https://www.gov.wales/drive-improve-science-and-technology-schools-begins |date=2017-12-01| access-date=2024-10-01 |website=Welsh Government |language=en}}

Crick also chaired Qualification Wales’ 2018 review of ICT sector qualifications, which reported that they were outdated and needed considerable reform,{{Cite web |date=2018-12-10 |title=Delivering Digital: ICT qualifications are outdated and need fundamental reform |url=https://www.fenews.co.uk/skills/delivering-digital-ict-qualifications-are-outdated-and-need-fundamental-reform/ |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=FE News |language=en-GB}} resulting in new GCSE and A-Level qualifications in Digital Technology from 2021 onwards.{{Cite web |title=GCSE Digital Technology |url=

https://www.wjec.co.uk/qualifications/digital-technology-gcse/ |access-date=2024-09-24 |website=WJEC |language=en-GB}}

Awards and honours

2011: British Science Association Media Fellow with BBC Wales{{Cite web |title=Media Fellow alumni |url=https://www.britishscienceassociation.org/media-fellow-alumni |access-date=2024-09-30 |website=British Science Association|date=2021-06-08 }}
2013: Worshipful Livery Company of Wales Gold Award{{Cite web |title=Major WLCoW Award Recipients |url=https://www.liverycompanywales.cymru/major-wlcow-awards-recipient.html |access-date=2024-09-24 |website=Worshipful Livery Company of Wales |language=en-GB}}
2014: HEA National Teaching Fellow
2017: Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (MBE){{Cite web |title=Thomas CRICK |url=https://www.thegazette.co.uk/notice/2804563 |date=2017-06-17|access-date=2024-09-24 |website=The Gazette}}
2020: British Educational Research Association Public Engagement and Impact Award{{Cite web |title=BERA announces 2020 Public Engagement and Impact Awards |url=https://www.bera.ac.uk/bera-in-the-news/bera-announces-2020-public-engagement-and-impact-awards |date=2020-11-17|access-date=2024-09-11 |website=British Educational Research Association |language=en-GB}}
2020: Fellow of the Learned Society of Wales{{Cite web |title=Fellows: Professor Tom Crick |url=https://www.learnedsociety.wales/fellow/thomas-crick/ |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=Learned Society of Wales}}
2022: IET Achievement Medal{{Cite web |title=World leading engineers win IET Achievement Awards |url=https://www.theiet.org/media/press-releases/press-releases-2022/press-releases-2022-october-december/21-october-2022-world-leading-engineers-win-iet-achievement-awards |date=2022-10-21|access-date=2024-09-24 |website=Institution of Engineering and Technology |language=en-GB}}
2022: Fellow of the Academy of Social Sciences{{Cite web |title=Fellows |url=https://acss.org.uk/fellows/ |access-date=2024-09-11 |website=Academy of Social Sciences |language=en-GB}}
2023: BCS Lovelace Medal
2023: Learned Society of Wales Hugh Owen Medal{{Cite web |title=Hugh Owen Medal 2023 |url=https://www.learnedsociety.wales/hugh-owen-medal-2023-professor-tom-crick/ |access-date=2024-09-13 |website=Learned Society of Wales |language=en-US}}
2024: British Science Association Honorary Fellow{{Cite web |title=Alom Shaha, Gisela Abbam and Tom Crick named British Science Association Honorary Fellows |url=https://www.britishscienceassociation.org/News/alom-shaha-gisela-abbam-and-tom-crick-named-british-science-association-honorary-fellows |date=2024-12-16| access-date=2024-12-17 |website=British Science Association |language=en-US}}