Elisabeth André

Prof. Dr. Elisabeth André is a Full Professor of Computer Science and Chairholder for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence at the University of Augsburg. She leads the Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence research team within the Institute of Computer Science, Faculty of Applied Computer Science. Her academic career includes roles such as Managing Director of the Institute of Computer Science (2004-2006) and leadership in major research initiatives like the DFG-funded CEEDs and FORSocialRobots projects.

Education:

• 1988: Diploma in Computer Science from Saarland University (Thesis: 'Generierung natürlichsprachlicher Äußerungen zur simultanen Beschreibung von zeitveränderlichen Szenen')
• 1995: PhD from Saarland University (Thesis: 'Ein planbasierter Ansatz zur Generierung multimedialer Präsentationen')

Research Interests: Focuses on multimodal interaction, affective computing, social robotics, and ethical AI applications. Key areas include embodied conversational agents, emotion recognition systems, and human-centered AI design principles.

Awards:

• 2021 Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz Prize (Germany's highest research honor)
• ICMI Sustained Accomplishment Award (2021)
• Member of Bavarian Academy of Sciences and Humanities (2022)
• Selected as one of 'Ten Influential Minds in German AI History' (GI, 2019)

Grants and Leadership: Has coordinated EU projects (e.g., CEEDs, CALLAS) and led national initiatives. Currently serves on the Bavarian Artificial Intelligence Council and the German Ethics Council for AI. Founded the FMLA Forum for Machine Learning at Augsburg.

Labs/Teams: Leads the Human-Centered AI Lab with 20+ researchers including Dr. Michael Dietz, Dr. Matthias Kraus, and Dr. Florian Lingenfelser. Active in interdisciplinary projects like VIVA (social robots) and TherapAI (healthcare applications).