Michel Desmarais is a Full Professor in the Department of Computer Engineering and Software Engineering at Polytechnique Montreal since 2002. He has established himself as a prominent researcher in the fields of Artificial Intelligence, Cognitive Modeling, and Educational Data Mining. His work bridges the gap between human factors engineering and advanced computational techniques, with a strong focus on practical applications in learning environments and software systems. Dr. Desmarais holds a Ph.D. in Psychology from the University of Montreal. Prior to joining Polytechnique Montreal, he spent ten years at the Montreal Computer Research Institute (CRIM) as scientific lead of a research team, followed by management and R&D positions in a private firm specializing in Web applications. His interdisciplinary background spanning psychology and computer science has informed his unique approach to human-centered AI systems. Professor Desmarais' research focuses on applying artificial intelligence techniques to educational contexts, with particular expertise in cognitive modeling, knowledge representation, and recommender systems. His work in educational data mining has significantly contributed to understanding how students learn through technology-mediated environments. He has developed innovative approaches for short answer grading using sentence similarity, knowledge tracing, and Q-matrix refinement. His research also extends to human factors engineering, where he examines how intelligent systems can be designed to better align with human cognitive processes. His recent publications demonstrate a clear trajectory toward leveraging advanced AI techniques, particularly large language models and deep learning, to solve complex problems in software engineering and education. The recurring themes across his work include expertise modeling, latent dimension analysis, and the development of adaptive learning environments that respond to individual learner needs. Professor Desmarais has been editor of the Journal of Educational Data Mining from 2013 to 2017 and remains highly involved in both the Educational Data Mining and User Modeling research communities. His leadership in these fields is reflected in his numerous collaborations and his role as a sought-after expert, as evidenced by media appearances such as his commentary on Google's inner workings in La Presse+ in 2018. He has supervised 11 Ph.D. students and 24 Master's students, mentoring the next generation of researchers in AI and educational technology. His students have pursued diverse research topics including technology-mediated peer instruction, latent dimension analysis, video interaction patterns in MOOCs, knowledge tracing, and recommender systems. Professor Desmarais is affiliated with the Institute for Data Valorization (IVADO) as a Member and with LAMA-WeST (Web, Semantics and Text) as a Collaborating member. These affiliations reflect his commitment to interdisciplinary research that bridges computer science, cognitive science, and practical applications in information systems.











