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Name of creator

David Owen Williams

Biographical history

Born in 1944, David Owen Williams came to CERN from the University of Cambridge in 1966, with a degree in physics and a Masters in computer science to join the Documents and Data Handling Division (DD). He worked first on software for analysis of bubble chamber photographs. He subsequently led the group that supported experiments with 'hybrids' of bubble chambers and electronic detectors, and then the group supporting online computing in experiments.

He became deputy leader of DD in 1985 and then leader in 1989. In 1990 DD Division became Computing and Networks (CN) Division. He held this position until 1996.

He strongly supported the development of the Internet in Europe, not just as a tool for scientific research but also as a motor for Europe's overall economic development.

In 1996 CN division was discontinued. David Williams became coordinator of CERN's relations with the European Union (until 2006), in the Directorate Service Unit (DSU).

From 1999 to 2003, he was president of the Trans-European Research and Education Networking Association (TERENA). He was also a member of various UK committees dealing with e-science and was chair of the e-Science Advisory Board of the UK's Council for the Central Laboratory of the Research Councils.

Immediate source of acquisition or transfer

Valeria Pietropaolo in October 2007