The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) has named University of Michigan School of Information faculty members Lionel Robert and Eric Gilbert 2023 ACM distinguished members. The recognition honors significant contributions to the field of computing. 

Members are nominated by their peers. 

“I’m very honored to receive this recognition from ACM,” Gilbert says. “The many students I’ve worked with over the years — both here and at Georgia Tech — are a big piece of this as well. They contributed significantly to the research, and I learned a great deal from the privilege of working with them.” 

Gilbert’s accomplishments in the field of computing are extensive. His research has had a notable  impact on the study of social media systems and designing better tools for social media users to prevent fake news, censorship and the proliferation of hate speech. 

On the faculty at UMSI since 2017, Gilbert has been awarded  multiple grants to fight disinformation and abusive behavior online. He has authored multiple papers with his students on reducing crowdsourcing bias and limiting hate speech on social media platforms like Reddit. 

Lionel Robert’s work examines the relationship between humans and robots, autonomous vehicles, the future of work, and the sharing economy, enhancing the understanding of socio-technical systems. His research has been instrumental in advancing the dynamics of trust between humans and technologies and creating collaborative technologies that promote inclusion and collaboration. 

Since joining UMSI, Robert has authored multiple papers on automated vehicles, the use of robots in public spaces and repairing trust between humans and robots. He has earned many honors and awards, including being named  IEEE senior member at the Institute of Electrical and Electronic Engineers and Association for Information SystemsDistinguished Member Cum Laude designation. 

“It's a great honor to be named an ACM Distinguished Member,” he says. “Receiving this honor from ACM helps to acknowledge that another community sees value in my work and the work of my co-authors and students. I'm grateful for the support of UMSI, my students, and my colleagues in the ACM community.”

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Lionel Robert is a professor of information at UMSI and a professor of robotics at the College of Engineering. Visit his UMSI faculty profile to learn more. 

Eric Gilbert is a John Derby Evans endowed professor of information and an associate professor at UMSI. He holds a joint appointment with the College of Engineering as an associate professor of electrical engineering and computer science. Learn more about him by visiting his UMSI faculty profile.