Dr John Norman Sutherland

"John Sutherland set up the first university course for computer games developers" - New Statesman

"John Sutherland developed the world's first degree courses in video game programming and video games media" - Times Higher Education

BBC news report on his founding of world's first video games degree.
Times Higher Education report on his co-founding of world's first dedicated university games research laboratory.
British Computer Society article on his work in games as virtual reality.
Guardian piece on his work in games education.

Professional Status

Research Director and Head of Publications, TuDocs Ltd.

Editor in Chief (designate), The Computer Games Journal (tbl 2012)

Senior Lecturer in Video Games, BSc (Honours) Computer Games Development (Skillset Academy accredited) designer and course leader for Ayr, Hamilton & Paisley campuses) University of the West of Scotland, United Kingdom.

Creator of the first named computer games degrees: MSc Computer Games Technology (1997), BSc (Honours) Computer Games Technology (1998), BA (Honours) Computer Arts (1999) at the University of Abertay Dundee, and the first casual/indie games creation degree: BSc (honours) Computer Games Development (2008) at the University of The West of Scotland.

Founder of the creativity society, Akademos' Garden, formalised at Baddeck, Nova Scotia, Canada in 2002.

Past teacher of Dave Jones, 1985-7 (creator of the Lemmings game & creator of the first Grand Theft Auto game) and teacher of many others now active in the video games industry

Visiting Professor in Virtual Reality, Gifu University, Japan (1996-7). First visiting scholar at the Virtual Systems Laboratory investigating 3D modelling of heritage reconstructions of buildings and ships on Silicon Graphics and PC systems.

Co-founder in Paris, France of the Virtual Heritage Network, an affiliate of UNESCO World Heritage.

Principal negotiator with Gifu Prefecture and Kakamigahara City, Japan, for Dundee City's entry into the Global Digital Cities Network.

External Examiner on Computing Science awards at Bolton, Paisley and Newport-Wales universities 1999-date.

Software Engineer with University of St Andrews, Fraser Williams, Allan D'Morias, DAKS Simpson and Rolls Royce; programming financial, telecommunications and statistical modelling programs in COBOL, BASIC, FORTRAN, RPG and VISTA on IBM, ICL and Data General systems; 1979-87.

Education

Doctor of Education, University of Edinburgh, 2009, for a dissertation entitled, 'Knowledge Change in Practice: The Case of a Computing Science Department'.

Master of Science in Computational Science by research, University of St Andrews, 1987, for a dissertation entitled, 'S-algol, ps-algol and the Commercial 3rd and 4th Generation Languages'.

Bachelor of Science in Science, University of Glasgow, 1979;

Certificate in Theology, Tilsley College, tbc 2012;

Cumbernauld High School, Dunbartonshire from 1970-5. 5th year dux in Mathematics 1975.

Abronhill, Lenzie Moss, Lenzie, Garelochhead and Dunbeath primary schools from 1963-1970.

Professional Qualifications

Chartered Engineer
Member of the British Computer Society
Chartered Information Systems Engineer
Chartered Information Systems Practitioner

Personal

Born Thurso, County Caithness, Scotland in 1958. Currently living in Upper Skelmorlie, Ayrshire, Scotland.

Principal horn and leader of brass section, Dunbartonshire County Youth Orchestra 1974-5. Solo horn Kirkintilloch Silver Band 1979-81 and Cumbernauld Silver Band 1975-9.

Son of Roderick William Sutherland, BSc (Glasgow), Civil Engineer; grandson of John Norman MacDonald Sutherland, MBChB (Glasgow), RAMC, Physician; great grandson of John Lessels 1 2, Architect in Edinburgh New Town who was a student of Thomas Carlyle.

Married with four children.

Born again into the Light of Christ in 1982. Formerly, Deacon at St Andrews Baptist Church, currently worshipping with Brisbane Evangelical Church.

Significant Web Spaces

Newbie Gamers Social Network
TuDocs Ltd
professional network at Linkedin
professional network at 38Minutes