Research IT

Driving the C++ User Group

Meet Russell Garwood, Senior Lecturer in the Dept. of Earth and Environmental Sciences and one of the academic leads of the University C++ User Group. Discover how he got involved with the group and what it offers the C++ user community at the University.

How did you hear about the C++ community?

I was approached by Research IT to help out as a research lead for the group when it was being created. I’ve used C++ in my research and have talked about it openly on my social media (BlueSky, Mastadon) which probably brought me to their attention. I also have experience of community building and engagement through my previous role as a Software Sustainability Institute (SSI) fellow quite some time ago now!

What is your role at the University and how does it interact with the C++ community?

I am a Faculty member in the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences. I'm a geologist by training, and much of my research is in palaeontology and evolutionary biology.

I use C++ in both avenues of research: I coded part of, and help to maintain, a piece of software called SPIERS which is used for digital visualization of slice-based datasets. Our community uses this to reconstruct either serially ground, or CT scanned, fossils in 3D.

I also co-wrote and maintain two packages that simulate evolution, called REvoSim and TREvoSimTREvoSim. They have different focusses, but are agent-based eco-evolutionary models, meaning they can be used to study processes we are interested in understanding on both short and longer time scales.

All these packages are written in C++ and use the Qt application development framework. We release them through the Palaeoware github organisation, which is in equal part a vehicle for the software and for our bad synthwave-inspired graphics.

evolution software logos

How did you get into your domain?

Through chance and total lack of planning! I tend to do things that interest me, and there are lots of cool questions you can ask if you think about palaeontological questions and can code.

What does your role in the C++ group involve?

Through my research I can input the needs and interests of the research community into the group. I have met up with and discussed C++ and Qt development with a range of people in the University and am always happy to do so with others! If anyone would like a chat about the use of C++ and the activity around at the university please get in touch and I can feed this into the group. You can also post ideas and suggestions direct to the Teams space so the other group leads can get involved.

What would you like to see the C++ group doing over the next 12 months?

I think it'd be great if the group could get together in-person to find out the range of what C++ development in the University looks like.

Fun fact?

For 15 years I worked as the editor for an extreme metal magazine, and you will still regularly find me at gigs in central Manchester if you listen to the same kind of music!

Russell Garwood

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