Alumni: Barbara Grosz

Barbara Grosz of ICSI's Board of Trustees

Barbara J. Grosz is Higgins Professor of Natural Sciences in the School of Engineering and Applied Sciences at Harvard University. From 2007 to 2011, she served as dean of science and then dean of Harvard’s Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study. She has made many fundamental contributions to the fields of natural language processing and multi-agent systems. She established the research field of computational modeling of discourse and developed some of the earliest computer dialogue systems, pioneered models of collaboration, and developed collaborative multi-agent systems and collaborative systems for human-computer communication. Grosz is known for her leadership in the field of artificial intelligence and her role in the establishment and leadership of interdisciplinary institutions, and she is widely respected for her contributions to the advancement of women in science.

Work Experience

  • Higgins Professor of Natural Sciences, Harvard University, 2001-present
  • Dean, Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, Harvard University, 2008-2011
  • Gordon McKan Professor of Computer Science, Harvard University, 1986-2001
  • Senior Staff Scientist, Artificial Intelligence Center, SRI International, 1983-1986

Education

  • PhD, Computer Science, UC Berkeley, 1977
  • MA, Computer Science, UC Berkeley, 1971
  • BA, Mathematics, Cornell University, 1969

Awards, Honors, and Significant Achievements

  • Vice President, American Philosophical Society, 2011-present
  • ACM/AAAI Allen Newell Award, 2009
  • IFAAMAS Influential Paper Award, 2007
  • Donald E. Walker Distinguished Service Award, International Joint Conferences on Artificial Intelligence, 2001
  • Distinguished Service Award, AAAI, 1999
  • Distinguished Alumna Award in Computer Sciences and Engineering, UC Berkeley, 1997
  • President, AAAI, 1993-1995
  • Member, National Academy of Engineering
  • Member, American Academy of Arts and Sciences
  • Fellow, ACM
  • Fellow, AAAI
  • Fellow, AAAS
  • Miegunyah Distinguished Fellow, Department of Information Systems, Faculty of Science, University of Melbourne, Australia