The Sir Frank Whittle Medal, named after Britain’s wartime jet engine inventor, recognises Dame Wendy’s extraordinary achievements during a career spanning five decades in leading the development of web science and shaping the UK’s AI strategy.
One of Britain’s most senior computer scientists, Dame Wendy becomes only the third woman in 25 years to win the Whittle Medal since it was first presented in 2001.
Dame Wendy’s work has shaped the development of digital libraries and the evolution of the internet – and she and her research group were investigating multimedia and hypermedia challenges years before the World Wide Web existed.
Recognised as a leading figure in shaping the future of technology, she co-chaired the UK Government’s AI Review in 2017, a pivotal report that informed the UK’s national AI strategy. She became a member of the AI Council and was appointed the UK’s AI Skills Champion in 2018. In 2023, she was appointed to the United Nations High-Level Advisory Body on Artificial Intelligence, and continues to advise governments and organisations worldwide. In a new book AI Explained: A Guide for Non-Technical Readers, to be published in September 2026, she explains how artificial intelligence actually works, from first principles to the generative model in a way that non-technical readers can understand.
Beyond her research and advisory roles, Dame Wendy has been a vocal champion of women in engineering and a role model for future generations of computer scientists and engineers, including as Senior Vice President of the Royal Academy of Engineering from 2005 to 2008. Her career exemplifies leadership, vision and a dedication to the responsible development and governance of emerging technologies.
Dame Wendy has just been announced as President of the British Science Association for 2026-27 and will deliver her Presidential Address – a conversation with BBC Technology Editor Zoe Kleinman about the future of AI – at this year’s British Science Festival, to be hosted by the University of Southampton.
She also features in a new series of photographs of 50 of the UK’s leading engineers, specially commissioned by the Academy to mark its 50th anniversary this year. An exhibition of these unique images of people whose innovation has helped to tackle some of humanity’s greatest challenges is currently touring the UK.
Professor Dame Wendy Hall DBE FREng FRS
Nominating Dame Wendy for the award, Professor Sir Bashir M Al-Hashimi CBE FREng FRS, Senior Vice President (Research & Special Initiatives) at King’s College London, says:
“Wendy Hall is both a pioneering computer scientist and a national treasure. In an increasingly digital age, her vision and sustained contributions underpin many of the technologies we now take for granted. From shaping the Web to guiding AI policy, her influence continues to grow and her counsel is more vital than ever. Her legacy is a testament to the profound and lasting impact one individual can have on a global discipline.”
Dame Wendy says:
“I am thrilled to have been awarded the Sir Frank Whittle Medal this year. Looking back at the roll call of previous winners I am hugely flattered to be in such esteemed company. When I was elected a Fellow of the Academy in 2000, there were very few computer scientists in Fellowship. Nearly 30 years later, computers have come to dominate every aspect of our lives and computer science has been embraced by the Academy. Today, as we look forward, we can see how AI is increasingly going to dominate our world and I am passionate about ensuring that safety, environmental and societal issues are at the heart of the way AI products and services are designed and developed. Being a Fellow of the Academy has always given me the confidence to speak out about such issues and to call for more diversity across all our engineering professions.”
Notes for editors
- Dame Wendy Hall serves as Director of the Web Science Institute (WSI) and Regius Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southampton. She was appointed a Dame Commander of the British Empire (2009), elected Fellow of the Royal Academy of Engineering (2000) and elected Fellow of the Royal Society (2009), in recognition of her pioneering contributions to Web Science, Internet development and national technology strategies and policies. Her influence extends far beyond academia and she has served on numerous national and international advisory bodies, including the UK Prime Minister’s Council for Science and Technology (2004 – 2010), the European Research Council Scientific Council (2005 – 2010) and the EPSRC Council (1997 – 2002).
- Named after Britain’s jet engine genius, the Sir Frank Whittle Medal is awarded to an engineer resident in the UK whose outstanding and sustained achievements have had a profound impact on their engineering discipline.
- The Royal Academy of Engineering creates and leads a community of outstanding experts and innovators to engineer better lives. As a charity and a Fellowship, we deliver public benefit from excellence in engineering and technology and convene leading businesspeople, entrepreneurs, innovators and academics across engineering and technology. As a National Academy, we provide leadership for engineering and technology, and independent, expert advice to policymakers in the UK and beyond. Our work is enabled by funding from the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, corporate and university partners, charitable trusts and foundations, and individual donors.
For more information please contact: Jane Sutton at the Royal Academy of Engineering Tel. 020 7766 0636; email: [email protected]