L. A. Dennis: CV

Summary

I'm currently working as a Reader at the University of Manchester. I have a PhD in Artificial Intelligence and an MSc in Knowledge Based Systems.

My research falls at the intersection of artificial intelligence and computational proof. Most recently it has focused on autonomous systems: their programming and verification and machine ethics. My research has primarily been driven by the parallel development of verification tools and verifiable systems, these include the lambdaClam proof planning system; the PROSPER Toolkit for integrating CAD and CASE tools, theorem proving and model checking; and more recently the Agent Infrastructure Layer for prototyping the semantics of Agent Programming Languages; the javapathfinder-based AJPF model checker for verifying agent programs and the Gwendolen verifiable agent programming language. As part of this research I have worked with industrial partners such as National Nuclear Labs and BAe systems.

I have extensive experience in public engagement and developed Lego Rovers, an activity that presents ideas from artificial intelligence programming and autonomous systems to children in Key Stages 2&3. This activity has been presented at multiple schools in the North West, was featured in a Best Practice video used for training by the STEM Ambassadors scheme, was a challenge problem for the NASA Space Apps hackathon, and has been used at Cheltenham Science Festival and in several events at the World Museum in Liverpool. It is currently funded by an STFC public understanding small award. I've also given interviews to Radio Merseyside's Drive Time, Radio Five Live, Granada Reports and the Today programme on BBC Radio 4.

Qualifications

PGCHE (completed 2005): Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education. University of Nottingham. Group Project: Automated Assessment for Large Groups, Individual Project: Student Attitudes to Plagiarism and Collusion in Computer Science, Teaching Portfolio available online at http://www.csc.liv.ac.uk/~lad/portfolio.
PhD (1994 - 1998): Department of Artificial Intelligence, Edinburgh University, Proof Planning Coinduction. Supervisors: Prof. Alan Bundy, Dr. Ian Green.
MSc Knowledge Based Systems (1993-1994): Department of Artificial Intelligence, University of Edinburgh, An Exploration of Semantic Resolution.
BA Hons (2:1) (1989-1992): Mathematics and Philosophy, Oxford University.

Career

2023-Present: Department of Computer Science, University of Manchester.
Reader
2020-2023: Department of Computer Science, University of Manchester.
Senior Lecturer
2019-2020: Department of Computer Science, University of Liverpool.
Lecturer
2016-2019: Department of Computer Science, University of Liverpool.
Knowledge Exchange Support Officer
2014-2019: Department of Computer Science, University of Liverpool.
Research Associate on Verifiable Autonomy
2012-2014: Department of Computer Science, University of Liverpool.
Research Associate on Reconfigurable Autonomy
2009-2012: Department of Computer Science, University of Liverpool.
Research Associate on Engineering Autonomous Space Software
2006-2009: Department of Computer Science, University of Liverpool.
Research Associate on Model Checking Agent Programming Languages
2001-2006: School of Computer Science and Information Technology, University of Nottingham.
Lecturer.
2000-2001: Division of Informatics, University of Edinburgh.
Research Fellow on EPSRC grant GR/M45030, The Computational Modelling of Mathematical Reasoning.
1998-1999: Department of Computing Science, University of Glasgow.
Research Associate on PROSPER (Proof and Specification assisted Design Environments). ESPRIT Framework IV LTR 26241.
1997-1998: Department of Computer Science, University of Nottingham.
Teaching Assistant.
1993: European Molecular Biology Laboratory (EMBL), Heidelberg.
6 month Research Assistant/Traineeship in Biocomputing.

Research

Publications

I maintain a separate Publications page.

Grants

EPSRC Prosperity Partnership - EP/X02489X/1: Centre for Robotic Autonomoy in Long-Lasting Environments (CRADLE) (Co-Investigator)
UKRI Trustworhty Autonomous Systems Programme - EP/V026801/1 (Co-Investigator): Computational Agent Responsibility
UKRI Trustworthy Autonomous Systems Programme - EP/V026801/1 (Co-Investigator): Verifiability Node
EPSRC ISCF Hub EP/R026084/1 (Co-Investigator): Robotics and Artificial Intelligence for Nuclear (RAIN).
EPSRC ISCF Hub EP/R026092/1, (Co-Investigator): Future AI and Robotics Hub for Space (FAIR-SPACE)
STFC Grant - ST/M002225/1: Lego Rovers Evolution
Nottingham New Lecturers' Fund Grant NLF - 3051: Classifying programming Errors and how they cause Correctness Proofs to Fail.
EPSRC Platform Grant Gr/SO1771/01: The Integration and Interaction of Multiple Mathematical Reasoning Processes. This grant is held in Edinburgh with Prof. Alan Bundy as the principal investigator.
EPSRC Grant Gr/M45030: The Computational Modelling of Mathematical Reasoning. This grant was held in Edinburgh with Prof. Alan Bundy as the principal investigator.

Public Understanding Experience

STEM Ambassador, 2010 -- present
Developed Lego Rovers -- a workshop activity for schools and family groups, 2013 - present
Media: Drivetime, Radio Merseyside, four appearances 2014-2016.; Today Programme, Radio 4, June 2015.; Radio 5 Live, June 2015.; BBC World Service, June 2015.; Granada Reports, ITN News, February 2016; Saturday Breakfast, Radio Merseyside, March 2016; Tony Snell in the Morning, Radio Merseyside, March 2016; Tomorrow's World Live, Streaming (including BBC iPlayer), November 2017

Teaching Experience

Lecturing

2020 - , Algorithms and Datastrctures (Unit Lead: 2021 - ): A two semester, second year unit. The work involved adapting existing lectures and courseworks, setting and marking examinations, recording online material and developing formative quizzes, coorindating the other lecturers on the unit. Managing practical drop-in sessions both online and in person. Recruiting and coordinating graduate teaching assistants.
2003 - 2006, Mathematics for Computer Science 2: A first year module covering discrete mathematics. The work involved adapting the existing lectures, setting and marking exercises and examinations.
2002 - 2006, Software Methods and Tools: A first year module in UNIX, perl and a tool-based approach to Software Engineering. The work involved adapting the existing lectures, setting and marking practicals and examinations.
2002, Mechanised Reasoning and Theorem Proving: A Short course for the Midland Graduate School in Theoretical Computer Science.
2002, An Introduction to UNIX: A One day course for IT workers from Peurgeot
2002, Developments in Digital Business: A third year module aimed primarily at students on the Digital Business degree course. This module was offered for the first time in 2002 and so I created the module from scratch based on a small syllabus description. Half the module consisted of guest lectures given by people working in Digital Business. The other half consisted of a series of lectures by myself on current topics in Digital Business. I also created and marked the course works and exam.
1999, Advanced Artificial Intelligence.: A third year module. I inherited this course in a form that had not been revised for several years. The work involved substantial revision of the existing material, the addition of new material, setting and marking coursework and the exam and co-ordinating the visit of a guest lecturer from Caen via the ERASMUS scheme.

Supervision

Graduated PhD Students

Hazel Taylor, Human Robot Interaction for Nuclear Robotics (Graduated 2023): University of Manchester, third supervisor.
Richard Stocker, Towards the Formal Verification of Human-Agent-Robot Teamwork (Graduated 2013): University of Liverpool, third supervisor.
Graham Steel, Non-theorem Refutation and Cryptographic Security Protocols (Graduated 2004).: University of Edinburgh, second supervisor.

MSc Students

Feihan Hao, Reinforcement Learning for Robot Navigation Combined with Runtime Monitoring, 2024: University of Manchester
Marcell Westsik,Using Runtime Monitoring to Control Reinforcement Learning, 2024: University of Manchester
Daniel Savu, Optimisation of PIN Debit Routing via Reinforcement Learning and Formal Verification, 2024: University of Manchester
Bingjie Yue, A User Interface to Investigate Explanations in Symbolic Agent-Based AI Systems, 2023: University of Manchester
Yufeng Shi, Implementing Sensor and Motion Models, Localisation and Mapping for Python Robotics Simulator, 2022: University of Manchester
Aryaan Shome,A Comparison of the SHAP and LIME explainability tools for Machine learning Models, 2021: University of Manchester
Zijian Bi,A Comparison of the SHAP and LIME explainability tools for Machine learning Models, 2021: University of Manchester
Bo Shen, Motorway Simulation for Driverless Car Protocols, 2019: University of Liverpool.
Ester Jacobs, Agent Programming for Lego Robots, 2013: University of Liverpool, third supervisor.
Fiona McNeill, On the Use of Dependency Tracking in Theorem Proving, 2000.: University of Edinburgh, second supervisor.

Formal Training

I have a Postgraduate Certificate in Higher Education (PGCHE). For this I had to produce a Teaching Portfolio.

Membership of Professional Organisations

The Society for the Study of Artificial Intelligence and the Simulation of Behaviour
Association for Automated Reasoning
British Logic Colloquium

Administrative Experience

2024: Formal Ethical Agents and Robots (FEAR), Chair
2022: Agents and Robots for Reliable Engineered Autonomy (AREA 2022), Organising Committee; 2021 -; Schools Liaison Officer, Department of Computer Science, Manchester
2021 -: Group Lead for the Autonomy and Verification Research Group
2020 -: Lab Manager for the Autonomy and Verification Robot Lab
2020 - 2024: Academic Lead for Computer Science, MSc in Robotics, Manchester
2020-: ACM SIGAI Conference Coordinator
2019 - 2020: Staff Representative on the Staff Student Liaison Committee, Liverpool.
2019: Engineering Multi-agent Systems (EMAS 2019), Co-chair
2018: AISB Convention, Co-chair
2017: Ethics by Design thematic day at PRIMA 2017, Co-Chair
2015: Agent Verification Workshop, Organising Committee
2015, 2016: Organised and managed a stand at Cheltenham Science Festival, which involved developing and producing the stand and supporting material, as well as arranging travel and accommodation for helpers.
2014: Member of the School of Electronics and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science's ATHENA SWAN committee which resulted in the school achieving a Bronze award.
2012: Joint AISB/IACAP World Congress - Alan Turing 2012, Publisher Liaison
2012: Declarative Agent Languages and Technologies 2012, Joint Programme Chair
2011: Programming Multi-Agent Systems 2011, Joint Programme Chair
2006: Automated Reasoning Workshop Organiser
2004 - 2010: Secretary and Webmaster of the Society for the Study of Artificial Intelligence and the Simulation of Behaviour
2006 -: Member of the Automated Reasoning Workshop Organising Committee
2005 - 2006: Course Organiser Computer Science with Artificial Intelligence
2005 - 2006: Course Organiser Computer Science with Formal Methods
2005: University of Nottingham. Committee member on two committees which designed three new degrees to be offered by the School and redesigned the curriculum of the existing single honours Computer Science degree.
2005 - 2006: Head of Marketing Undergraduate Degrees, School of Computer Science and IT, University of Nottingham
2005 - 2006: Admissions Officer, School of Computer Science and IT, University of Nottingham
2005: CIAO Workshop Chair
2004 -: Secretary and Webmaster of the Society for the the Study of Artificial Intelligence and the Simulation of Behaviour
2003 -: AISB Quarterly Newsletter, Member of the Editorial Board
2001 -: Society for the Study of Artificial Intelligence and the Simulation of Behaviour, Committee Member
2001 - 2006: Nottingham Teaching Committee Member
2001 - 2005: Course Organiser for GN51 Joint Honours Computer Science and Management Studies.
International Conference on Theorem Proving in Higher-Order Logic 2001: Local Arrangements Chair
Banff 2000 Workshop in Honour of Graham Birtwhistle, Ullapool Scotland.: Assisted with planning and organisation.

External Recognition

Advisory Board Member. AI3SD Network+, 2018 – 2023
Member of the EPSRC Peer Review College
Best paper prize at TACAS 2000.

Louise Dennis