Remembering South Africa's "Grand Geek" Barry Dwolatzky - engineer and programming pioneer

To some of his former students, Professor Barry Dwolatzky was the “Grand Geek” – a name of which he was very proud.

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https://theconversation.com/remembering-south-africas-grand-geek-barry-dwolatzky-engineer-and-programming-pioneer-206511https://theconversation.com/remembering-south-africas-grand-geek-barry-dwolatzky-engineer-and-programming-pioneer-206511
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Thursday, June 1, 2023
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Autobiography, Chancellor, University, Information technology, Friends, Electricity, Technology, Emeritus, Curriculum, Software engineering, Teaching, Electrical engineering, CART, Research, Software, COVID, CEO, Languages of Ethiopia, University of the Witwatersrand, Doctor of Philosophy, Computer, Information, Digital Future Coalition, Student, ICT, University of Belgrade School of Electrical Engineering, Time, Master of Science, School, Engineering, Imperial College London, WITS, Program, Video game, Management, Manufacturing, Industrial design, Film industry, Science, Eskom
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LONDON, SOUTH AFRICA, UK
Summary
Key Points: 
  • To some of his former students, Professor Barry Dwolatzky was the “Grand Geek” – a name of which he was very proud.
  • But Barry, who passed away in Johannesburg, South Africa on 16 May 2023, was much more than a computer geek.
  • He was also a leader and a visionary in the field of software engineering in South Africa.

A pioneer in programming

    • I first met Barry in 1989 when he returned to South Africa as a senior lecturer in the School of Electrical Engineering at Wits.
    • When he joined the School, there was only one programming course, Engineering Applied Computing, taught to second-year electrical, civil and mechanical engineering students.
    • Barry identified the growing importance of programming and information technology in engineering fields before anyone else in South Africa really had.
    • Today, the School of Electrical & Information Engineering’s curriculum contains two second-year programming courses and a third-year course that is compulsory for all electrical and information engineering students.

Software to drive development

    • At that time, Barry started working on a software programme that would assist engineers in planning the electrification of townships, historically black urban residential areas.
    • A number of postgraduate students under his supervision worked on aspects of this software.
    • It was the work he did through the centre that established him as an important thought leader in the software and IT space.

Innovation champion

    • He raised funding and transformed the rundown buildings into the innovation hub that is today one of the university’s flagship projects.
    • Even after retiring, Barry remained committed to and driven by the idea of innovation.
    • He worked alongside Wits University’s deputy vice-chancellor, Professor Lynn Morris, to establish the Wits Innovation Centre.
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