Professor David Parsons

School of Science, Engineering and Environment

Photo of Professor David Parsons

Contact Details

Newton Building Room 221

Please email for an appointment.

Current positions

Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor

Biography

I am a Royal Academy of Engineering Visiting Professor (VP) at the University of Salford in the School of Computing, Science & Engineering where I am also a member of the Computer Networking and Telecommunications Research Group. I was first appointed in 2000 and my current agreement runs through to the end of 2013. For many years my VP role at Salford operated alongside my part-time teaching contract. By mutual agreement my “formal” timetabled teaching finished at the end of September 2011 – shortly after my 70th birthday.  I am also a RAE VP at the University of Sheffield and have an Honorary Professorship at the Metropolitan University of London.

My earlier career included:

Barclays Bank 1958-1993. Initial working in the retail banking area but subsequently moving into the Bank’s IT Division in the early 1960’s. Following 20=years working in systems and programming at all levels, I eventually spent 12 years in senior executive roles as:

1982-1986 Head of Technical Research

1986-1989 Head of Networks

1989-1993 Group Director Advanced Technology Research.

Following early retirement from Barclays in 1993, and in addition to my work at Salford, I have:

  • Established by own technology consultancy company (1993 – date)
  • Worked part time for the European Commission (1993 – date)
  • Worked part time for the British Computer Society as their Regional Manager North. (1996-2006)
  • Worked part time as a lecturer for Sheffield Hallam University (1997-2006)

A comprehensive career resume is available.

Teaching

I no longer teach formally but continue to “guest” lecture at both Salford and other institutions. In the past I have taught or assisted the teaching / assessment of the following:

  • Project Planning, Project Control and Presentation Skills
  • Network Architectures and Design (Post graduate)
  • Management Principles and Practice. (Post Graduate)
  • Introduction to Information Systems Management (under graduate)
  • Global Network Architectures (undergraduate)
  • Professional / ethical issues (undergraduate)

Supervision of final year undergraduate student projects.

External subject quality assessments – both UK and overseas at undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

Membership of external academic and industrial advisory boards and advisor on establishment of external advisory boards.

Research Interests

  • High Performance Computation and Networking – especially context and location aware quality of service management systems.
  • Ethical/Professional and related issues as they apply to Computing / IT.
  • Public Engagement of Science & Engineering
  • Member of the EPSRC College of Peers and have worked extensively as an Evaluator / rapporteur for the European Commission.

Qualifications and Memberships

Professionally qualified in:

  • Banking (Honours degree equivalent)
  • IT / Computing (Honours degree and masters equivalents)
  • CITP - Chartered IT Professional

Memberships include:

  • FBCS - Life Fellow of the British Computer Society
  • FRGS – Fellow of the Royal Geographical Society
  • MIET – Member of the Institution of Engineering & Technology
  • MITP – Member of the Institute of Telecommunications Professionals
  • Also a member of the IEEE Computer Society and the ACM
  • Professional Member of the World Future Society
  • Member of the Institute of Financial Services