Mary Lou Maher

Mary Lou Maher is a Professor in the Department of Software and Information Systems at the University of North Carolina Charlotte (UNC Charlotte), part of the College of Computing and Informatics. She also serves as Director of the Center for Education Innovation (CEI) and Co-Director of the Human Centered Computing Lab (HCC Lab). Her work spans over three decades, with prior roles including Department Chair (2012–2020), Senior Research Scientist at University of Maryland (2010–2012), and Program Director at the National Science Foundation (2006–2010).

Her research focuses on Human-Centered AI, co-creative systems, and education innovation. Notable projects include Pique: Personalized Curiosity, an AI-driven learning system funded by NSF (#1618810), and studies on course climate in CS education (NSF #2111376). She co-leads initiatives like the Human-AI Co-Creation with Generative Models (HAI-GEN) workshops and explores ethical AI, creativity metrics, and inclusive pedagogy.

Her articles emphasize AI's role in enhancing human creativity, ethical challenges in co-creation, and AI literacy. Maher has received the 2023 NCWIT Harrold and Notkin Award for advancing women in technology. Her labs and centers drive interdisciplinary projects in cybersecurity, data science, and educational technologies.