Dr. Irene Bell (BCS) will succeed Gerald Futschek (OCG) as Chair of the CEPIS Informatics Education Expert Group.
Dr. Bell, who has been a long-standing member of the Informatics Education expert group, currently serves as Principal Lecturer and Head of STEM at Stranmillis University College in Belfast, bringing nearly 30 years of Higher Education experience following an early career in secondary teaching. A prominent advocate for computing education, she previously chaired Computing At School (Northern Ireland) from 2016 to 2025 and has played leading roles in initiatives such as Barefoot Computing and Digital Schoolhouse, where she is the Regional Academic Lead for Northern Ireland.
Her contributions have been widely recognised, including a 2022 British Computer Society (Northern Ireland) award for outstanding service to computing education. She also represents Higher Education on the CyberFirst Skills Group (NI) and contributed to the CDIT initiative, which earned the Digital and Creative Excellence Award at the 2025 Belfast Chamber Business Awards.
Dr. Bell’s appointment marks a new chapter for the expert group, building on the long‑standing leadership of Gerald Futschek. Known for his extensive work in informatics didactics and educational innovation, Gerald has been a key figure in both CEPIS and the broader informatics education community.
