Michael Butler

Professor Michael Butler serves as Dean of the Faculty of Physical Sciences and Engineering at the University of Southampton, a position he has held since January 2021. Previously, he served in key leadership roles including Associate Dean for Academic Infrastructure (2018-2020) and Associate Dean for Enterprise (2014-2018). As a distinguished computer scientist, his career spans decades of groundbreaking work in formal methods for software safety and security.

Butler is internationally renowned for his pioneering work in developing and industrially deploying formal methods, particularly his specialization in model-based methods and Event-B. His research encompasses applications, tools, and methodology for ensuring the trustworthiness of software-based systems, especially high integrity systems where failures could lead to loss of life or significant business impact. He has made key theoretical contributions that enable scaling formal analysis to large complex systems.

His recent publications reveal a consistent focus on applying formal methods to critical domains including cyber-physical systems, autonomous vehicles, and security analysis. The research demonstrates innovative approaches to exception handling, safety requirements capture, and formal verification of complex systems, with strong industry relevance.

Scientific recognition includes:

• Fellow of the British Computer Society
• Chair of IFIP WG 2.3 on Programming Methodology (2013-2019)
• Editorial board member for Formal Aspects of Computing (2008-present)
• Editorial board member for International Journal of Critical Computer-Based Systems (2010-present)
• Editorial board member for Software Tools for Technology Transfer (2015-present)

Butler actively supervises PhD students including Haider Mahmood Al-Shareefy and has secured substantial research funding through numerous projects with EPSRC and European Union funding programs. His industry collaborations with Thales, Hitachi, and Airbus demonstrate his commitment to translating academic research into real-world applications. As a member of the Cyber Physical Systems research group, he continues to lead cutting-edge research in formal verification of safety-critical systems.