Professional Qualifications:
1998 BSc Physics University of Dundee
1999 MSc (Distinction) Information Technology University of Abertay Dundee
2006 PhD Ecological Modelling University of Abertay Dundee
2010 PGCERT HET University of Abertay Dundee
Professional Employment History:
2017 - present Head of Division: Games Technology & Maths
2014 - 2017 Senior Lecturer in Modelling and Visualisation
2006 - 2014 Lecturer in Modelling and Visualisation
1999 - 2006 Teaching Fellow, School of Computing and Creative Technologies
Professor Ruth Falconer Head of Division: Games Technology and Mathematics in the School of Design & Informatics.
I currently teach Data Structures and Parallel Programming (GPGPU) and have previously taught 3D graphics, statistics and programming to a range of cohorts. I hold a BSc in Physics and PhD in Ecological Modelling and my ongoing research interests are the development of modelling and visualisation frameworks to understand complex systems. My innovations include developing the first theoretical model and visualisation framework for indeterminate organisms. These modelling and visualisation skills have been applied across disciplines to develop interactive visual simulations of urban sustainability, heat loss and gain from built environment and precision agriculture. I am interested in applying games technology including games engines, graphics hardware and related infrastructure, to develop playable models of complex systems. Areas of application are the Water-Energy-Food-nexus, Microbial Ecology and Health and Social Care. I am interested in the broader applications of game technology to develop intuitive systems models. I am an editorial board member for International Journal of Games Technology & Scientific Reports. I have over 70 peer reviewed articles and have secured significant research income. I am a Co-I and PI on several RCUK and charity-funded grants.
CMP201 Data Structures & Algorithms I
CMP202 Data Structures & Algorithms II
I also supervise Hons and MSc projects in the areas of: Procedural Content Generation, Complex Systems in Games, Parallel Programming and GPGPU applications.
I have a BSc in Physics, MSc in IT and my PhD developed a computational approach within theoretical ecology. My research is interdisciplinary and to date focuses mainly on environmental problems (e.g.using sustainablity and nexus approaches) that involve spatio-temporal and/or other multi-dimensional complexity. Numerical modelling, simulation, analysis and visualisation are critical components of this research that I implement using scripting, native programming, API’s and “engines” (Matlab/R/C#/C/C++/DirectCompute/Unity) as appropriate to achieve project goals. My personal research interests include the application of games technology (using GPGPU, games engines and related infrastructure) for computation and visualisation to scientific problems e.g. the Water, Energy, Food Nexus; Interactive visualisation of multicontaminants from atmospheric chemistry models; streaming and visualising AGRI-Data in the field on mobile devices and biophysical modelling of soil-microbial complex. I am also interested in computer games as complex systems and the translation of complex system approaches to games and game design to enhance the player experience.
2020 - 2022 Principal Investigator (Abertay) on SmARtview: SmARtview - An AI-powered Augmented Reality Tool for Animal Health and Productivity. Falconer, R., Sloan, R. J. S. & Szymkowiak, A. UK Research and Innovation: £75,000.00
2020 - 2022 Co-Investigator on My Cancer MAI Care (Phase 2) Kang, K. L., Bown, J. & Falconer, R. Macmillan Cancer Support: £204,033.19.
2017– 2019 Principal Investigator (Abertay) on Modelling the resilience of below-ground microbial communities. RCUK (NERC): £220K; Abertay share £25K. NE/P014208/1.
2016 – 2019 Principal Investigator (Abertay) on Modelling the Water-Energy-Food Nexus: STEPPING UP. RCUK: (EPSRC): 1.4M; Abertay share £178K. Work Package Leader. EP/N00583X/1.
2015 – Present Co-Investigator on Sustainable methods to supply clean water to Scotland’s rural communities. CREW: £35K.
2014 – Present Principal Investigator on AGRI-AP: Applied Graphics and Rendering Innovation for Agricultural Precision. TSB £17K
2013 – Present Falconer RE, Isaacs JP, Gilmour D & Blackwood D. Building Information Models (BIM) and Interactive Visualisation. SFC - (HEFC) £10,000
2013 – Present Falconer RE, Isaacs JP, Gilmour D & Blackwood D. Investigating web based game technologies (webGL and openCL) for generating optimized fertilizer and lime maps. SAGES £11,434
2013 - Present Falconer RE, Isaacs JP, Gilmour D & Blackwood D. 3D visualization for TAYplan strategic landuse planning. TayPlan £8,000
2013 – Present Blackwood D, Gilmour D, Isaacs J & Falconer R. Scottish Water Sector Overview Map for CREW (Center of Expertise for Water. CREW £60,000.
2013 – 2013 Falconer RE, Isaacs JP, Gilmour D & Blackwood D Maximising passive solar gain: A physically based simulation and rendering approach. SFC - (HEFC) £10,000
2013 – Present Co-Investigator on Development of a potato breeding interactive decision-making tool: combining sensory and consumer science data (INTERFACE-AGRICO £60,000)
2012 - Present Principal Investigator on developing and testing geovisualisation approaches for understanding multiple benefits from Scottish agricultural systems. Scottish Government and UAD funded (£74,000).
2012 - Present Undergraduate Carnegie scholarship - GPGPU implemenation of microbial dynamics model (£1000)
2012 - Present Nuffield scholarship - Promoting 3D quantification of microbial biomass with respect to physical architecture. (£1000)
2009 - Present Co-Investigator, Multiscale Modelling and Emergent Properties of Microbial Degradation of Soil Organic Matter. ANR - France (671,902 euro).
2009 - Present Principal Investigator on developing an Agent based Model for the effect of land management decisions on the sustainability of urban/rural interface. Scottish Alliance of Geoscience, Environment and Society: SAGES (£50,000).
2011 - Date Simulation and Visualisation of St Andrews Sand Dunes, for Fife Countryside Trust (£29,000) .
2011 - Date Sustainability Assessment and Visualisation of the Dunfermline Edge Development, for Fife Council. (£10,000).
2009 - Present Co-investigator, Sustainability Enhancement and Visualisation of Dundee Waterfront, for Dundee City Council (£40,000).
2008 - Present Co-investigator, DC Noise – Demographic Change: New opportunities in shrinking Europe, EU Interreg project (UAD share £102,000).
2008 - Present Co-Investigator for developing an interactive simulation and visualisation tool for urban sustainability (UAD funded, £50,000)
2008 - 2011 Co-Investigator, Phosphates Life Cycle Management, for UK Water Industry Research Limited. Lead Researchers - Consultants Atkins Ltd. (UAD share, £15,000).
2007 - 2011 Co-Investigator on the EPSRC project “Biological metaphors and crisis: building self healing, emergence and resilience into critical infrastructures” (EP/E062865: £366,002).
2007 - 2008 Co-Investigator on investigation into fungal-inspired network protocols. Norman Fraser Design Trust (£9,000).
2004 “Inside Nature using Xray micro Computed tomography”. BBSRC: £2000
Editorial, Board, Committee & Reviewer Roles
• Editor for International Journal of Computer Games Technology (Nov 2021 - present)
• Women in Games Executive Board membership (May 2018 - Present)
• CPHC: Council of Professors and Heads of Computing in UK membership (August 2017 - Present)
• Adjunct Professor in the Faculty of Business and IT, at Ontario Tech University (Oct 2020 - Oct 2023)
• Sicsa Committee: Abertay representative on SICSA committee (August 2018 - Present)
• Editorial Board Member for Scientific Reports (Jan 2015 - Present)
• Associate Editor for SSSAJ: Soil Physics (Jan 2014 – Dec 2019)
• Guest Editor Special Issue - Engineering Education on Geosciences in a Changing World - In Journal of Engineering Education (2013).
• Expert reviewer for European Commission: Marie Sklodowska -Curie Innovative Training Network Grants and Individual Fellowship Grants: Engineering and Informatics Panel (2016 – present).
• Annually review 12-16 manuscripts for peer reviewed journals, 2-3 RCUK proposals and book chapters.
Invited Talks & Panel Events
External Examinations
2017 PhD external examination. Guillermo Vidal Diez de Ulzurrun of Ghent University. "Fungal growth modelling and assessment: towards a three-dimensional spatially explicit fungal growth model"
2015 PhD external examination. Rory McMullan of Ulster University. The Computational Modelling of large Scale Predator-Prey Systems.
2011 PhD transfer external examination. Steven Hopkins of Glamorgan University. A Hybrid Mathematical Model of Fungal Mycelia: Tropisms, Polarised Growth and Application to Colony Competition
2015 – 2018 Co-I (Abertay) on Water-Energy-Food Nexus: STEPPING UP. EPSRC. 1.4M Manchester University lead; Abertay share £178K
2015 – Present Co-Investigator on Sustainable methods to supply clean water to Scotland’s rural communities. CREW: £35K.
2014 – Present Principal Investigator on AGRI-AP: Applied Graphics and Rendering Innovation for Agricultural Precision. TSB £17K
2013 – Present Falconer RE, Isaacs JP, Gilmour D & Blackwood D. Building Information Models (BIM) and Interactive Visualisation. SFC - (HEFC) £10,000
2013 – Present Falconer RE, Isaacs JP, Gilmour D & Blackwood D. Investigating web based game technologies (webGL and openCL) for generating optimized fertilizer and lime maps. SAGES £11,434
2013 - Present Falconer RE, Isaacs JP, Gilmour D & Blackwood D. 3D visualization for TAYplan strategic land use planning. TayPlan £8,000
2013 – Present Blackwood D, Gilmour D, Isaacs J & Falconer R. Scottish Water Sector Overview Map for CREW (Center of Expertise for Water. CREW £60,000.
2013 – 2013 Falconer RE, Isaacs JP, Gilmour D & Blackwood D Maximising passive solar gain: A physically based simulation and rendering approach. SFC - (HEFC) £10,000
2013 – Present Co-Investigator on Development of a potato breeding interactive decision-making tool: combining sensory and consumer science data (INTERFACE-AGRICO £60,000)
2012 - Present Principal Investigator on developing and testing geovisualisation approaches for understanding multiple benefits from Scottish agricultural systems. Scottish Government and UAD funded (£74,000).
2012 - Present Undergraduate Carnegie scholarship - GPGPU implemenation of microbial dynamics model (£1000)
2012 - Present Nuffield scholarship - Promoting 3D quantification of microbial biomass with respect to physical architecture. (£1000)
2009 - Present Co-Investigator, Multiscale Modelling and Emergent Properties of Microbial Degradation of Soil Organic Matter. ANR - France (671,902 euro).
2009 - Present Principal Investigator on developing an Agent based Model for the effect of land management decisions on the sustainability of urban/rural interface. Scottish Alliance of Geoscience, Environment and Society: SAGES (£50,000).
2011 - Date Simulation and Visualisation of St Andrews Sand Dunes, for Fife Countryside Trust (£29,000) .
2011 - Date Sustainability Assessment and Visualisation of the Dunfermline Edge Development, for Fife Council. (£10,000).
2009 - Present Co-investigator, Sustainability Enhancement and Visualisation of Dundee Waterfront, for Dundee City Council (£40,000).
2008 - Present Co-investigator, DC Noise – Demographic Change: New opportunities in shrinking Europe, EU Interreg project (UAD share £102,000).
2008 - Present Co-Investigator for developing an interactive simulation and visualisation tool for urban sustainability (UAD funded, £50,000)
2008 - 2011 Co-Investigator, Phosphates Life Cycle Management, for UK Water Industry Research Limited. Lead Researchers - Consultants Atkins Ltd. (UAD share, £15,000).
2007 - 2011 Co-Investigator on the EPSRC project “Biological metaphors and crisis: building self healing, emergence and resilience into critical infrastructures” (EP/E062865: £366,002).
2007 - 2008 Co-Investigator on investigation into fungal-inspired network protocols. Norman Fraser Design Trust (£9,000).
2004 “Inside Nature using Xray micro Computed tomography”. BBSRC: £2000
2013 – Present Falconer RE, Isaacs JP, Gilmour D & Blackwood D. Building Information Models (BIM) and Interactive Visualisation. SFC - (HEFC) £10,000
2013 – Present Falconer RE, Isaacs JP, Gilmour D & Blackwood D. Investigating web based game technologies (webGL and openCL) for generating optimized fertilizer and lime maps. SAGES £11,434
2013 - Present Falconer RE, Isaacs JP, Gilmour D & Blackwood D. 3D visualization for TAYplan strategic landuse planning. TayPlan £8,000
2013 – Present Blackwood D, Gilmour D, Isaacs J & Falconer R. Scottish Water Sector Overview Map for CREW (Center of Expertise for Water. CREW (£60,000).
2013 – 2013 Falconer RE, Isaacs JP, Gilmour D & Blackwood D Maximising passive solar gain: A physically based simulation and rendering approach. SFC - (HEFC) £10,000
2013 – Present Co-Investigator on Development of a potato breeding interactive decision-making tool: combining sensory and consumer science data (INTERFACE-AGRICO £60,000)
2012 - Present Principal Investigator on developing and testing geovisualisation approaches for understanding multiple benefits from Scottish agricultural systems. Scottish Government and UAD funded (£74,000).
2012 - Present Undergraduate Carnegie scholarship - GPGPU implemenation of microbial dynamics model (£1000)
2012 - Present Nuffield scholarship - Promoting 3D quantification of microbial biomass with respect to physical architecture. (£1000)
2009 - Present Co-Investigator, Multiscale Modelling and Emergent Properties of Microbial Degradation of Soil Organic Matter. ANR - France (¿671,902).
2009 - Present Principal Investigator on developing an Agent based Model for the effect of land management decisions on the sustainability of urban/rural interface. Scottish Alliance of Geoscience, Environment and Society: SAGES (£50,000).
2011 - Date Simulation and Visualisation of St Andrews Sand Dunes, for Fife Countryside Trust (£29,000) .
2011 - Date Sustainability Assessment and Visualisation of the Dunfermline Edge Development, for Fife Council. (£10,000).
2009 - Present Co-investigator, Sustainability Enhancement and Visualisation of Dundee Waterfront, for Dundee City Council (£40,000).
2008 - Present Co-investigator, DC Noise – Demographic Change: New opportunities in shrinking Europe, EU Interreg project (UAD share £102,000).
2008 - Present Co-Investigator for developing an interactive simulation and visualisation tool for urban sustainability (UAD funded, £50,000)
2008 - 2011 Co-Investigator, Phosphates Life Cycle Management, for UK Water Industry Research Limited. Lead Researchers - Consultants Atkins Ltd. (UAD share, £15,000).
2007 - 2011 Co-Investigator on the EPSRC project “Biological metaphors and crisis: building self healing, emergence and resilience into critical infrastructures” (EP/E062865: £366,002).
2007 - 2008 Co-Investigator on investigation into fungal-inspired network protocols. Norman Fraser Design Trust (£9,000).
2004 “Inside Nature using Xray micro Computed tomography”. BBSRC: £2000
Public understanding of science has always played a central role within my activities. This is illustrated in my involvement in activities during the UK Science week (funded by BBSRC), open days, and presentations to local schools, and café science events. For the last 5 years I have supervised Nuffield students during the summer period providing them with research experience. I also supervise Baccalaureate students. In the past I have received funding for and organised a Science week event: where 5 local schools visited Abertay University to participate in an interactive workshop on XRay CT. I have also proactively sought funding from BBSRC (local school coordinator capacity) and the Royal Institution and organised the content and speakers for two separate series of math masterclasses for secondary and primary schools.