Ben Shneiderman

Ben Shneiderman is a Retired Emeritus Professor in the Department of Computer Science at the University of Maryland, College Park, and Founding Director (1983–2000) of the Human-Computer Interaction Lab (HCIL). He holds affiliate appointments in the Institute for Systems Research and the College of Information Studies. His research focuses on Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Information Visualization, and Human-Centered AI.

Education: B.S. in Mathematics and Physics from City College of New York (1968), M.S. and Ph.D. in Computer Science from Stony Brook University (1972–1973).

Key contributions include the direct manipulation interface concept, treemaps, dynamic queries, and the highlighted textual link. He authored influential books like Designing the User Interface (6th ed., 2016) and Human-Centered AI (2022). Honors include ACM SIGCHI Lifetime Achievement Award (2001), IEEE Visualization Career Award (2012), and honorary doctorates from six institutions.

His work emphasizes user-centered design principles, advocating for technology that empowers humans rather than replaces them. Projects include EventFlow for temporal data analysis and NodeXL for social network visualization.