Birgit Lugrin

Birgit Lugrin is a Professor and Chair of Computer Science V (Socially Interactive Agents) at the University of Würzburg's Institute of Computer Science since 2024. Her interdisciplinary research bridges computer science and psychology, focusing on socially interactive agents (SIAs) for education, healthcare, and cultural understanding. She leads a lab focused on human-robot interaction, virtual agents, and bias reduction.

• Education: B.Sc. and M.Sc. in Computer Science from Augsburg University, followed by a Dr. rer. nat. in Human-Centered AI.
• Research Themes: Socially interactive agents, cultural diversity in AI, educational robotics, elderly support, and bias reduction through virtual agents.
• Projects: Adaptive pedagogical agents, mixed-cultural speech models, robotic concierge design, and VR interventions for racial bias.

Her recent work explores AI-driven robotics for elderly engagement, empathy-building in mixed-cultural contexts, and the efficacy of virtual agents in educational and social settings. She has contributed to tools like PePUT for Pepper robotics and frameworks for ingroup bias research.

Scientific Awards

• Victor Lesser Distinguished Dissertation Award (IFAAMAS-12)
• Best Paper Awards at ICMI, AAMAS, and Culture and Computing
• Women's Representative roles at University of Würzburg

As a mentor, she advises students in socially interactive agents, co-authoring studies on topics like robotic storytelling, speech perception, and user studies. Her lab engages in field studies, partnerships with institutions like USC and NII, and multi-stakeholder design processes.