Three USC Computer Science Faculty Members Elected 2020 ACM Fellows

Three USC computer science faculty members have been elected as fellows of the Association for Computing Machinery, the world’s leading computing society. The new fellows are among 95 ACM members recognized as the top 1% for their outstanding accomplishments in computing and information technology and/or outstanding service to ACM and the larger computing community. Fellows are nominated by their peers, with nominations reviewed by a distinguished selection committee.

Sven Koenig is a professor of computer science who specializes in artificial intelligence. He leads the IDM Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, which develops the foundations for building agents, such as robots, that can make good decisions in complex situations involving uncertainty, and find solutions in a timely manner. Koenig is a fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). He was recognized as a 2020 ACM Fellow for his contributions to artificial intelligence, including heuristic search and multi-agent coordination.

Maja Matarić is Chan Soon-Shiong Chair and Distinguished Professor of Computer Science, Neuroscience, and Pediatrics. She leads the USC Interaction Lab, is the founding director of the USC Robotics and Autonomous Systems Center and oversees the USC Viterbi K-12 STEM Center.  She also currently serves as interim vice president of research at USC. Matarić is a pioneer in the field of socially assistive robotics, which focuses on developing personalized human-robot interaction methods to support human behavior change aimed at health, wellness, rehabilitation, training and education. Her research is known for developing and deploying socially assistive robots in real world settings—including hospitals, therapy centers, schools, and homes—over extended periods of weeks and months. She is recognized as a 2020 ACM Fellow for contributions to socially assistive robotics and human-robot systems.   

Michael (Mike) Zyda is a professor of engineering practice in computer science. He is a pioneer in computer graphics, networked virtual reality, modeling and simulations, and serious games. At USC, he founded the BS in Computer Science (Games), the MS in Computer Science (Game Development) and the USC Games joint Advanced Games course. USC Games is now recognized as the top games program North America,, according to Princeton Review. Zyda is additionally an IEEE Fellow, an IEEE Virtual Reality Technical Achievement Award winner, a National Academy of Inventors Senior Member and a National Academies National Associate. He was recognized as a 2020 ACM Fellow for his contributions to game design, game and virtual reality networking and body tracking.

Published on February 2nd, 2021

Last updated on May 16th, 2024