Derek Bridge

Dr. Derek Bridge is a Senior Lecturer in the School of Computer Science and Information Technology at University College Cork (UCC). His research focuses on Artificial Intelligence, Data Analytics, and Algorithmics, with particular expertise in Recommender Systems and Case-Based Reasoning. He has led multiple research projects funded by organizations like Science Foundation Ireland (SFI) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), exploring topics such as waste exchange optimization and collaborative recommendation systems.

Dr. Bridge holds a PhD from the University of Cambridge and a BSc from Brunel University. His work spans over three decades, with significant contributions to academic journals and conferences, including top-tier venues like ACM Recommender Systems and International Conferences on Case-Based Reasoning (ICCBR). He has organized conferences such as the Workshop on Reasoning from Experiences on the Web (WebCBR) and served on editorial boards, including the ACM Transactions on Interactive Intelligent Systems.

Research Interests:
- Recommender Systems (diversity, serendipity, and beyond-accuracy objectives)
- Case-Based Reasoning (CBR) applied to problem-solving and explanation generation
- Machine Learning and Optimization (ant colony algorithms, collaborative filtering)
- Applications in e-commerce, music recommendation, and decision support systems

Awards:

• 2010 BCS SGAI Paper Award
• 2010 ICTAI Best Paper Prize
• 2004 ICCBR Best Paper Prize
• 2014 Crowd Favourite Award (Computer Cooking Contest)

Teaching & Professional Activities:
- Supervised PhD students (e.g., Walid Trabelsi, Lisa Cummins)
- Served as external examiner for institutions in Ireland, Portugal, Spain, and beyond
- Reviewed proposals for funding agencies in Ireland, Italy, and France