Martha E. Pollack
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| Martha E. Pollack | |
|---|---|
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| Name | Martha E. Pollack |
| Birth date | 27 August 1958 |
| Birth place | Shaker Heights, Ohio |
| Alma mater | University of Michigan; Massachusetts Institute of Technology |
| Occupation | Computer scientist; university administrator |
| Known for | Research in artificial intelligence, natural language processing, planning |
| Title | President of Cornell University |
Martha E. Pollack is an American computer scientist and university administrator known for work in artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and planning. She has held leadership roles at major research institutions and professional societies, and serves as President of Cornell University. Her career spans faculty appointments, program directorships, and national service in organizations shaping computing research and academic policy.
Early life and education
Pollack was born in Shaker Heights, Ohio and attended public schools in the United States. She earned a Bachelor of Science from the University of Michigan where she studied under faculty involved with computer science and engineering education. Pollack completed a Ph.D. in computer science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, working with advisors and collaborators active in artificial intelligence, machine learning, and natural language understanding. During her graduate studies she engaged with projects connected to research groups at MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory and interacted with scholars from institutions such as Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of California, Berkeley, and Harvard University.
Academic career
Pollack served on the faculty of University of Pittsburgh before joining the University of Michigan faculty, where she held appointments in the Department of Computer Science and Engineering and related programs. At Michigan she directed graduate programs and research groups that collaborated with centers such as the Michigan Engineering units and interdisciplinary institutes linked to healthcare and cognitive science. She served as Dean of the School of Information at Michigan and later as Provost and Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs at the University of Michigan. Pollack has worked with national agencies including the National Science Foundation and engaged with associations such as the Association for Computing Machinery and the American Association for the Advancement of Science.
Research and contributions
Pollack's research contributions lie in artificial intelligence, particularly in planning, natural language processing, machine learning, and situated inference for autonomous agents. Her work addressed problems connecting knowledge representation and reasoning with practical applications in domains like healthcare, robotics, and assistive technology. She has published in venues such as the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence conferences, journals linked to the ACM and IEEE, and contributed to collaborative projects with researchers from Cornell University, Princeton University, Yale University, Columbia University, and Johns Hopkins University. Pollack participated in program committees and editorial boards for publications affiliated with AAAI, IJCAI, ACL, and NeurIPS, and mentored doctoral students who later joined faculties at institutions like MIT, Stanford University, Carnegie Mellon University, University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign, and University of California, San Diego.
Administrative leadership
As Dean of the University of Michigan School of Information, Pollack led curriculum reform, research initiatives, and partnerships with industry partners including technology firms in Silicon Valley and research laboratories such as IBM Research and Microsoft Research. As Provost at the University of Michigan she oversaw academic planning, faculty affairs, and research strategy, interacting with state-level stakeholders and federal agencies like the Department of Energy and the National Institutes of Health on interdisciplinary research initiatives. She served as President of Cornell University, where she engaged with the Ithaca campus and the Cornell Tech campus in New York City, advancing capital projects, diversity initiatives, and collaborations with entities such as New York State, City of New York, and private philanthropic organizations including the Gates Foundation and corporate partners. Pollack has held leadership roles in professional societies, including elected positions within the Association for Computing Machinery and advisory roles for the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine.
Awards and honors
Pollack's recognitions include fellowships and awards from organizations such as the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, the Association for Computing Machinery, and election to scholarly academies including the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the National Academy of Inventors. She has received institutional honors from the University of Michigan and national recognition from agencies including the National Science Foundation for research and leadership. Pollack has been invited to deliver named lectures and keynote addresses at conferences hosted by AAAI, ACL, IJCAI, and other conferences sponsored by societies like IEEE and SIAM.
Personal life
Pollack is married and has family ties in the United States. She has participated in public discourse on topics such as research policy, academic freedom, and campus life, engaging with media outlets and organizations including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and public broadcasters such as NPR. She is active in philanthropic and cultural institutions affiliated with the universities where she has served, maintaining connections with alumni networks like the Cornell University Alumni Association and the University of Michigan Alumni Association.
Category:1958 births Category:Living people Category:American computer scientists Category:Women university and college presidents Category:Cornell University faculty Category:University of Michigan faculty