Dr. Robin Murphy, Raytheon Professor in the Department of Computing Science and Engineering at Texas A&M University, has been named a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) for her contributions to founding and advancing the field of computing for disasters and robotics.
Murphy has deployed ground, aerial and marine robots to nearly 30 disasters in five countries, starting with the 9/11 World Trade Center collapse and including Hurricanes Katrina and Harvey, the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident and the Kilauea volcanic eruption. She has documented the science behind the robots and the need for artificial intelligence and human-robot teaming in more than 150 articles and an award-winning book, Disaster Robotics, founded the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers’ International Symposium on Safety, Security and Rescue Robotics and has created training classes for responders. In 2014, she was given the ACM Eugene L. Lawler Humanitarian award for the societal impact of her work.
ACM Fellow is the most prestigious member grade in the organization. It recognizes the top 1% of members for their outstanding accomplishments in computing and information technology and/or outstanding service to the ACM and the larger computing community.
"Computing technology has had a tremendous impact in shaping how we live and work today,” said Cherri M. Pancake, president of the ACM. “All of the technologies that directly or indirectly influence us are the result of countless hours of collaborative and/or individual work, as well as creative inspiration and, at times, informed risk-taking. Each year, we look forward to welcoming some of the most outstanding individuals as fellows. The ACM Fellows program is a cornerstone of our overall recognition effort. In highlighting the accomplishments of the ACM Fellows, we hope to give credit where it is due, while also educating the public about the extraordinary array of areas in which computing professionals work."
The ACM will formally recognize its 2019 fellows at the annual awards banquet in San Francisco, California, on June 20.