Principal Academic, Bournemouth University, United Kingdom
Dr. Sofia Meacham (née Tsasakou) is a computer engineering expert and Senior Academic at Bournemouth University, UK 🇬🇧. With a PhD in Embedded Systems and System-Level Design from the University of Patras 🇬🇷, she has over 14 years of experience in teaching, research, and industry collaboration. Her passion lies in Domain-Specific Languages (DSLs) and their application in cutting-edge fields such as Large Language Models 🤖, eLearning 📱, and Health Informatics 🏥. She has collaborated with British Telecom, King’s College, and the University of Southampton, and actively contributes to high-impact IEEE/ACM publications. She is a dedicated mentor and thought leader. ✨
Profile
🎓 Education & Experience :
Dr. Sofia Meacham holds a PhD in Electrical and Computer Technology from the University of Patras, Greece (1995–2000), with a focus on Embedded Systems and System-Level Design 📍. She also earned a Diploma in Computer Engineering & Informatics from the same university (1989–1994), graduating with a strong academic record (8.2/10 – “Very Good”) 🎓. With over 14 years of academic experience in UK Higher Education Institutions 👩🏫, she has played key roles in teaching, research, and external examination 📚. Her career includes impactful collaborations with British Telecom, King’s College London, and the University of Southampton 🧪, as well as consultancy work for iTemis in Germany 🌍. She also brings industry experience from INTRACOM, a major Greek telecommunications company 💼, and has taught in UK colleges, adult education, and Greek secondary schools 🎓
📚 Professional Development :
Dr. Meacham continually evolves professionally by blending academic rigor with industrial relevance. She has supervised PhD students in collaboration with British Telecom 📡 and initiated research partnerships across top institutions, such as King’s College London and the University of Southampton 🧠🏥. She remains at the forefront of software engineering through hands-on work with tools like MPS JetBrains and LangChain 🔧💻. Her teaching spans undergraduate and postgraduate levels, focusing on applied research and student mentoring 🎓👩🏫. As an active contributor to IEEE/ACM communities, she ensures her knowledge remains aligned with global research and technological advances 🌍📊.
🔬 Research Focus :
Dr. Meacham’s research focuses on the development and application of Domain-Specific Languages (DSLs) across sectors like health informatics 🏥, eLearning 📘, and business process modeling 🏢. Her recent interests integrate Generative AI and Large Language Models (LLMs) 🤖 to create advanced, customized chatbot systems using frameworks like LangChain and LlamaIndex. She specializes in model-based design, formal methods, and software engineering patterns 🔍. Dr. Meacham’s work bridges technical depth and practical value, pushing innovation in digital platforms while addressing real-world challenges through system-level design and collaboration with industry and healthcare institutions 🌐👨⚕️.
🏆 Awards and Honors :
Dr. Sofia Meacham has achieved several notable honors throughout her academic and professional career. She successfully secured three match-funded PhD studentships in collaboration with British Telecom 🥇, demonstrating her strong industry-academic ties. She played a key role in an EPSRC-funded MDEnet project, fostering a collaborative research partnership between Bournemouth University and King’s College London 🏅. Her interdisciplinary efforts extended to a successful partnership with the University of Southampton Medical School 🤝, applying model-driven engineering to healthcare domains. Dr. Meacham maintains a growing portfolio of high-impact publications in leading IEEE and ACM conferences 📈. Additionally, she contributes as a consultant to iTemis, a renowned German company specializing in DSLs and model-based engineering 🌍.
Publication Top Notes :
Requirements for modelling tools for teaching
Citation:
Kienzle, Jörg; Zschaler, Steffen; Barnett, William; Sağlam, Timur; Bucchiarone, Antonio; Abrahão, Silvia; Syriani, Eugene; Kolovos, Dimitris; Lethbridge, Timothy; Mustafiz, Sadaf; Meacham, Sofia. (2024). Requirements for Modelling Tools for Teaching. Software and Systems Modeling, 23(5), 1055–1073. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10270-024-01192-y
Conclusion:
Dr. Sofia Meacham exemplifies the qualities celebrated by the Best Researcher Award: innovation, impact, and leadership. Her cross-disciplinary applications of DSLs, coupled with her collaborative spirit and research excellence, have significantly influenced both academic inquiry and real-world technologies. Her body of work not only pushes the boundaries of computer engineering but also demonstrates a clear and sustained commitment to advancing the field—making her a highly deserving recipient of this prestigious award.