Ben Shneiderman wins IEEE Visualization & Graphics Technical Community (VGTC) 2012 Visualization Career Award

Dr. Ben Shneiderman was honored with the prestigious VGTC Visualization Career Award at the annual IEEE VisWeek 2012 Conference in Seattle in recognition of his leadership and contributions in the fields of information visualization and human computer interaction. VisWeek 2012 is the premier forum for advances in scientific and information visualization, and the award is the highest, most meritorious honor in the field of visualization.

“Ben is a visionary leader who has significantly shaped the science and the craft of information visualization as it is practiced today,” said UMIACS Director Amitabh Varshney. “In addition to his numerous contributions to the field of visualization, Ben is widely applauded for a three-step process for big data visualization: overview first, zoom and filter, details on demand that goes by the name of the Shneiderman Mantra. I am immensely proud to see his lifetime contributions and impact to the field of visualization being recognized by the community's highest award,” added Varshney.

Dr. Shneiderman is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Founding Director (1983-2000) of the Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory at the University of Maryland. He is a member of the Institute for Advanced Computer Studies and Glenn L. Martin Professor of Engineering. He is a Member of the National Academy of Engineering and a Fellow of the AAAS, ACM, and IEEE.

Dr. Shneiderman recently co-authored the fifth edition of Designing the User Interface: Strategies for Effective Human-Computer Interaction (2010). In 2002, Shneiderman wrote Leonardo’s Laptop (MIT Press), which won the IEEE book award for Distinguished Literary Contribution. As a pioneering leader in the field, Dr. Shneiderman reminds audiences that “the goal of visualization is insight, not pictures.” He believes visualization leads users to deeper insights about the world we inhabit.

Congratulations to Dr. Shneiderman on being honored with this most prestigious award, and to his decades of meaningful accomplishments in the fields of information visualization and human computer interaction.