The Computing Research Association (CRA) has celebrated a diverse new class of fellows from the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) and the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), with several honorees recognized for groundbreaking work in computer vision, robotics, and visual AI systems. Among the 2026 AAAI Fellows and 2025 ACM Fellows are researchers whose contributions span representation learning, robot perception, and human-AI interaction, reflecting the computing community's ongoing commitment to advancing how machines see and understand the visual world. Which Researchers Are Leading Computer Vision Innovation? Several honorees have made significant contributions specifically to computer vision and visual perception. Yun Raymond Fu, a COE Distinguished Professor at Northeastern University, was named a 2025 ACM Fellow for his work in representation learning, computer vision, face and gesture recognition. His research addresses how machines learn to recognize and interpret visual information, a capability essential to autonomous systems, medical imaging, and human-computer interaction. Michael Gleicher, a Professor of Computer Sciences at the University of Wisconsin-Madison and Founder of the Visual Computing Group, was also named a 2025 ACM Fellow for contributions to graphics, multimedia, visualization, and robotics. Gleicher's work bridges visual computing with robotics, demonstrating how machines can process and respond to visual information in physical environments. Odest Chadwicke Jenkins, a Professor of Robotics at the University of Michigan, was recognized as a 2025 ACM Fellow for contributions to robot learning and broadening participation in robotics and AI. Jenkins' research directly addresses how robots perceive and interact with their surroundings through visual and sensory systems. Beyond his technical contributions, Jenkins has been deeply involved in CRA initiatives since 2019, serving on the Board of Directors of CRA-WP, helping establish the CRA Skip Ellis Early Career Award, and serving on the steering committee for the CRA-WP Grad Cohort Workshop. What Other Research Areas Are Being Recognized Alongside Computer Vision? The 2026 and 2025 fellowship classes reflect a broader range of AI and computing research priorities beyond visual perception. The honorees represent diverse specializations that collectively advance the field: - Causal AI Foundations: Elias Bareinboim, a Professor of Computer Science at Columbia University, was elected as a 2026 AAAI Fellow for significant contributions to the foundations of modern causal artificial intelligence and its applications, providing theoretical underpinnings for how AI systems reason about cause and effect. - Multiagent Systems and Public Interest AI: Sanmay Das, a Professor of Computer Science at Virginia Tech and Associate Director of Artificial Intelligence for Social Impact, was elected as a 2026 AAAI Fellow for developing multiagent interaction mechanisms and learning techniques in the public interest, and for leadership service to the profession. - Time Series and Spatiotemporal Analysis: Yan Liu, a Full Professor in the Computer Science Department at the University of Southern California, was elected as a 2026 AAAI Fellow for significant contributions to machine learning and widely recognized models for time series and spatiotemporal data analysis. - Heuristic Search and Pathfinding: Nathan Sturtevant, a Professor at the University of Alberta, was elected as a 2026 AAAI Fellow for significant contributions to the theory and algorithms of heuristic search, pathfinding, and games, as well as benchmarks and educational resources for these areas. - Human-AI Interaction and Personalization: Cristina Conati, a Professor of Computer Science at the University of British Columbia, was named a 2025 ACM Fellow for contributions to research in human-AI interaction and AI-driven personalization. - Parallel and Distributed Computing: Franck Cappello, an R&D Lead and Senior Computer Scientist at Argonne National Laboratory, was named a 2025 ACM Fellow for contributions to parallel and distributed computing, resilience, and scientific data reduction. - System-on-Chip Architecture: Luca Carloni, a Professor and Chair of the Department of Computer Science at Columbia University, was named a 2025 ACM Fellow for contributions to the design of system-on-chip architectures and heterogeneous computing platforms. - Reconfigurable Computing and AI Accelerators: Deming Chen, an Abel Bliss Professor of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, was named a 2025 ACM Fellow for contributions to reconfigurable computing, including synthesis algorithms and customizable AI accelerator design methodologies. - Network Infrastructure: Nandita Dukkipati, a Distinguished Engineer in AI and Infrastructure at Google, was named a 2025 ACM Fellow for contributions to congestion control, transport performance, and end-host network stacks. - Data Mining and Visualization: Eytan Adar, a Professor of Information at the University of Michigan, was named a 2025 ACM Fellow for research in data mining, data visualization, and social computing, and contributed to the Computing Community Consortium (CCC) initiative to develop a 20-Year Roadmap for Artificial Intelligence. This breadth of recognition demonstrates that the computing research community values contributions across multiple domains, from foundational theory to practical applications, from visual systems to infrastructure that enables AI deployment. How to Engage With the Computing Research Community and Support AI Innovation - Explore CRA Volunteer Opportunities: The Computing Research Association actively recruits volunteers to help shape the future of the computing research community through committees and working groups focused on expanding access to computing education, influencing policy, and strengthening industry-academia connections. Interested researchers can fill out the CRA Volunteer Form to explore opportunities aligned with their interests. - Follow AAAI and ACM Initiatives: Both organizations publish research, host annual conferences, and recognize fellows whose work shapes the field. Their fellowship announcements highlight emerging priorities in AI research and provide insight into which research directions the computing community values most. - Participate in CRA Programs and Mentoring: The CRA offers mentoring programs such as the Future Leaders program at the CRA Conference and the CRA-WP Early and Mid-Career Mentoring Workshop, providing opportunities to connect with leading researchers and advance your career in computing research. - Attend Specialized Conferences and Roadmapping Efforts: AAAI and ACM host conferences where fellows and other researchers present their latest work. Additionally, the Computing Community Consortium (CCC) produces national roadmapping efforts, such as the 20-Year Roadmap for Artificial Intelligence and A Roadmap for U.S. Robotics, which identify long-term research challenges and opportunities. "CRA is deeply grateful for the computing researchers who contribute their time and expertise to advance our mission. Many of this year's honorees have played an integral role in CRA's programs, initiatives, and events, helping to strengthen and support the research community," stated Matt Hazenbush, Director of Communications and Member Engagement at the Computing Research Association. Matt Hazenbush, Director of Communications and Member Engagement, Computing Research Association The recognition of researchers like Odest Chadwicke Jenkins, who has been actively involved in multiple CRA initiatives throughout his career, underscores an important principle: the computing research community values not just technical innovation but also leadership in broadening participation in AI and robotics. This dual recognition of research excellence and community building suggests that the field understands the importance of developing a diverse, inclusive research ecosystem where talent from all backgrounds can contribute to advancing AI and computer vision. The 2026 AAAI and 2025 ACM fellowship classes represent researchers who have spent years solving problems that may not always capture headlines but are essential to how AI systems work in practice. From teaching robots to perceive and interact with their environments, to developing algorithms that recognize faces and gestures, to creating visualization systems that help humans understand complex data, these fellows have contributed foundational science that makes modern computer vision and AI possible. Their recognition by AAAI and ACM signals that the computing research community continues to value this work across multiple domains and research areas.
