The National Academies of Engineering (NAE) recently announced their newly elected members list, and among the many distinguished new members is previous CCC Council member, Maja Matarić. Dr. Matarić, the Chan Soon-Shiong Chair and professor of Computer Science, Neuroscience, and Pediatrics at the University of Southern California (USC), was elected for her pioneering contributions to human-robot interaction and socially assistive robotics. Matarić’s research focuses on developing socially assistive robots that provide personalized assistance through social interaction rather than physical intervention. Her research has led to applications that aid children with autism, elderly individuals with Alzheimer’s disease, and stroke survivors, among others. The interplay between humans and machines serves as both […]

The Computing Community Consortium (CCC) is pleased to share that council member Weisong Shi was awarded two grants from the National Science Foundation (NSF) to further autonomous research at the University of Delaware. Here’s more about his research: Machine Learning (ML) has become a driving force in advancing many critical domains, particularly in autonomous driving. The growing power of ML techniques enables autonomous vehicles (AVs) to perceive their surroundings accurately, make real-time decisions, and operate reliably without human input. Given the safety-critical nature of AVs, ensuring the end-to-end safety of their learning systems is paramount.  However, Shi’s research indicates that potential safety issues can arise from various sources, including the […]

It has been almost a year since computer scientist Luiz André Barroso passed away. On September 16, 2023, he left a huge legacy behind. Barroso was a distinguished individual known for his transformative work at Google and his dedication to representation in the field. His ability to impact the community will now honored each year by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) through the Luiz André Barroso Award. Dr. Barroso worked at Google for over 20 years as a vice president of engineering in the Core and Maps divisions, and was the technical leader in the design of Google’s computing platform. He was a pioneer of Google’s data centers, rebuilding […]

The Computing Community Consortium (CCC) is excited to announce that former council member Chad Jenkins has been awarded the 2024 Richard A. Tapia Achievement Award by the Center for Minorities and People with Disabilities in IT (CMD-IT).  This honor recognizes his significant contributions to computing, including his research in robot learning and human-robot interaction, and his efforts to diversify the field. Jenkins, a Professor of Robotics and Electrical Engineering and Computer Science at the University of Michigan, has made notable impacts in his field, such as developing methods for robots to assist people in everyday settings. He has also been active in leadership roles, including serving as Vice President for […]

The following was adapted from content originally posted on the CRA-WP website by Lauren Lashlee, Program Associate.    CRA’s Widening Participation Committee (CRA-WP) has an opportunity to highlight early career researchers with the 2024 Early Career Awards honoring Anita Borg and Clarence “Skip” Ellis. Both awards celebrate early career professionals and highlight work being done by individuals in underrepresented groups in the field of computing research. Please consider nominating an eligible early career professional in your life who you deem worthy of extra recognition. Nominations are due January 30, 2024. Anita Borg Early Career Award  (BECA) The Anita Borg Early Career Award (BECA) is named in honor of Anita Borg, […]

Dr. Nadya T. Bliss, CCC Council Vice Chair and Executive Director of the Global Security Initiative (GSI) at Arizona State University (ASU), was just recognized as a Top 50 Women Leaders of Arizona for 2023 by Women We Admire. In her current position at ASU Dr. Bliss leads research, education, and programming for national and global security. Additionally, she currently holds a Professor of Practice appointment at the School of Computing and Augmented Intelligence and is a Senior Global Futures Scientist at the Julie Ann Wrigley Global Futures Laboratory. With over 20 years of leadership experience in science, technology, defense, security, and higher education, Bliss has a deep understanding of […]