About ACM Distinguished Members

ACM has named 52 Distinguished Members for significant contributions. All the 2023 inductees are longstanding ACM Members and were selected by their peers for work that has advanced computing, fostered innovation across various fields, and improved computer science education.

“The ACM Distinguished Members program recognizes both career achievement as well as participation in ACM,” said ACM President Yannis Ioannidis. “Many of these new 52 Distinguished Members have been selected for important technical achievements, while others have been chosen because of their service and/or work in computer science education, which lays the foundation for the future of our field. With the Distinguished Member designation, ACM also highlights how individual computing professionals maintain the health and growth of a global scientific society through membership and active engagement with their colleagues.” v vThe 2023 ACM Distinguished Members work at leading universities, corporations and research institutions in Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, and the United States. This year’s class of Distinguished Members made advancements in areas including AI and economics, principles of data management, software development, human-computer interaction, developing technology for people with disabilities, mobile and wireless sensing systems, and many others.

The ACM Distinguished Member program recognizes up to 10 percent of ACM worldwide membership based on professional experience and significant achievements in the computing field. To be nominated, a candidate must have at least 15 years of professional experience in the computing field, five years of professional ACM membership in the last 10 years, and must have achieved a significant level of accomplishment or made a significant impact in the field of computing. A Distinguished Member is expected to have served as a mentor and role model by guiding technical career development and contributing to the field beyond the norm.

Read the ACM news release.

ACM has named 67 Distinguished Members for significant contributions. All of the 2022 inductees are longstanding ACM members and were selected by their peers for work that has spurred innovation, enhanced computer science education, and moved the field forward.

“The ACM Distinguished Members program honors both accomplishment and commitment,” said ACM President Yannis Ioannidis. “Each of these new 67 Distinguished Members have been selected for specific and impactful work, as well as their longstanding commitment to being a part of our professional association. As ACM celebrates its 75th anniversary this year, it is especially fitting to reflect on how our global membership has built our organization into what it is today. Our Distinguished Members are leaders both within ACM and throughout the computing field.”

The 2022 ACM Distinguished Members work at leading universities, corporations and research institutions in Australia, Canada, China, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, India, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Singapore, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. ACM Distinguished Members are selected for their contributions in three separate categories: educational, engineering, and scientific. This year’s class of Distinguished Members made advancements in areas including algorithms, computer science education, cybersecurity, data management, energy efficient computer architecture, information retrieval, healthcare information technology, knowledge graph and semantic analysis, mobile computing, and software engineering, among many others.

The ACM Distinguished Member program recognizes up to 10 percent of ACM worldwide membership based on professional experience and significant achievements in the computing field. To be nominated, a candidate must have at least 15 years of professional experience in the computing field, five years of professional ACM membership in the last 10 years, and must have achieved a significant level of accomplishment or made a significant impact in the field of computing. A Distinguished Member is expected to have served as a mentor and role model by guiding technical career development and contributing to the field beyond the norm.

Read the ACM news release.

ACM has named 63 Distinguished Members for outstanding contributions to the field. All 2021 inductees are longstanding ACM members and were selected by their peers for a range of accomplishments that advance computing as a science and a profession.

"Each year we are excited to recognize a new class of ACM Distinguished Members for their professional achievements, as well as their longstanding membership with ACM,” explains ACM President Gabriele Kotsis. “The Distinguished Members program is a way both to celebrate the trailblazing work of our members, and to underscore how participation with a professional society enhances one’s career growth. This award category also emphasizes how ACM’s worldwide membership is the foundation of our organization."

The 2021 ACM Distinguished Members work at leading universities, corporations and research institutions in Australia, Bangladesh, Canada, Chile, China, Germany, India, New Zealand, Norway, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom and the United States. ACM Distinguished Members are selected for their contributions in three separate categories: educational, engineering and scientific. The new class of Distinguished Members made advancements in areas including bioinformatics, computer architecture, computer graphics, data science, human-computer interaction, networking and distributed systems, semantic web research, security, and software engineering, among many other areas.

The ACM Distinguished Member program recognizes up to 10 percent of ACM worldwide membership based on professional experience and significant achievements in the computing field. To be nominated, a candidate must have at least 15 years of professional experience in the computing field, five years of professional ACM membership in the last 10 years, and have achieved a significant level of accomplishment, or made a significant impact in the field of computing, computer science or information technology. A Distinguished Member is expected to have served as a mentor and role model by guiding technical career development and contributing to the field beyond the norm.

ACM news release

ACM has named 64 Distinguished Members for outstanding contributions to the field. All 2020 inductees are longstanding ACM members and were selected by their peers for a range of accomplishments that have contributed to technologies that move the computing field forward.

"The active participation of ACM members, in our organization, and in the field more broadly, is the foundation of a global scientific society,” explains ACM President Gabriele Kotsis. “With the Distinguished Member designation, ACM celebrates specific contributions of these members and their career growth as reflected in a long-term commitment to the field, as well as their collaboration with peers in supporting a global professional association for the benefit of all."

The 2020 ACM Distinguished Members work at leading universities, corporations and research institutions in Australia, Canada, China, India, Qatar, Singapore, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States. These innovators have made contributions in a wide range of technical areas including data science, mobile and pervasive computing, artificial intelligence, computer science education, computer engineering, graphics, cybersecurity, and networking, among many other areas.

The ACM Distinguished Member program recognizes up to 10 percent of ACM worldwide membership based on professional experience as well as significant achievements in the computing field. To be nominated, a candidate must have at least 15 years of professional experience in the computing field, five years of professional ACM membership in the last 10 years, and have achieved a significant level of accomplishment, or made a significant impact in the field of computing, computer science and/or information technology. In addition, it is expected that a Distinguished Member serves as a mentor and role model, guiding technical career development and contributing to the field beyond the norm.

ACM news release

ACM has named 62 Distinguished Members for outstanding contributions to the field. All 2019 inductees are longstanding ACM members and were selected by their peers for a range of accomplishments that have contributed to technologies that underpin how we live, work and play.

"Each year it is our honor to select a new class of Distinguished Members,” explains ACM President Cherri M. Pancake. “In everything we do, our overarching goal is to build a community wherein computing professionals can grow professionally and, in turn, contribute to the field and the broader society. We are delighted to recognize these individuals for their contributions to computing, and we hope that the careers of the 2019 ACM Distinguished Members will continue to prosper through their participation with ACM."

The 2019 ACM Distinguished Members work at leading universities, corporations and research institutions around the world, and hail from Canada, China, Germany, Ireland, Qatar, Singapore, Taiwan, the United Kingdom and the United States. These innovators have made contributions in a wide range of technical areas including artificial intelligence, human-computer interaction, computer engineering, computer science education, cybersecurity, graphics, and networking.

The ACM Distinguished Member program recognizes up to 10 percent of ACM worldwide membership based on professional experience as well as significant achievements in the computing field. To be nominated, a candidate must have at least 15 years of professional experience in the computing field, 5 years of continuous professional ACM membership, and have achieved a significant level of accomplishment, or made a significant impact in the field of computing, computer science and/or information technology. In addition, it is expected that a Distinguished Member serves as a mentor and role model, guiding technical career development and contributing to the field beyond the norm.

ACM named 49 Distinguished Members for outstanding contributions to the field. The 2018 ACM Distinguished Members are exemplars for their peers, and represent ACM’s worldwide geographic reach, as well as the exciting range of subdisciplines that constitute today’s technology landscape.

"By honoring these individuals, we highlight the professional achievements behind the technologies that have transformed both our daily lives and society in general,” explains ACM President Cherri M. Pancake. “Each Distinguished Member has also demonstrated a commitment to being part of the professional community through his or her longstanding membership in ACM. These computing leaders really epitomize ACM’s mission of ‘advancing computing as a science and a profession.’"

The 2018 ACM Distinguished Members work at leading universities, corporations and research institutions around the world. They represent countries including Australia, Canada, Chile, China, France, Germany, Japan, New Zealand, Singapore, Sweden, the United States and the United Kingdom. These innovators have made contributions in a wide range of technical areas including algorithms, artificial intelligence, computer architecture, computer science education, cybersecurity, graphics, human-computer interaction, and networking.

2017 Members Selected as Pioneering Innovators that Are Advancing the Digital Age

ACM named 43 Distinguished Members for an extraordinary array of achievements, reflecting the many distinct areas of research and practice in the computing and information technology fields.

"Computing technology is becoming an increasingly dominant force in our daily lives and is transforming society at every level,” explains ACM President Vicki L. Hanson. “In naming a new roster of Distinguished Members each year, ACM underscores that the innovations which improve our lives do not come about by accident, but rather are the result of the hard work, inspiration and creativity of leading professionals in the field. We honor the 2017 class of ACM Distinguished Members for the essential role their accomplishments play in how we live and work."

The 2017 ACM Distinguished Members work at leading universities, corporations and research institutions around the world, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, Qatar, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, and the United States. These innovators have made contributions in a wide range of technical areas including accessibility, computational geometry, cryptography, computer security, computer science education, data structures, healthcare technologies, human-computer interaction, nanoscale computing, robotics, and software engineering —to name a few.

2016 Members Selected for Individual Achievements that Expand Scientific Frontiers and Advance the Digital Age

ACM named 45 Distinguished Members for their individual contributions to the field of computing. Their achievements have advanced the science, engineering and education of computing, and highlight the growing role of computing in the major technological advances shaping society today.

"The contributions of our Distinguished Members lead to breakthroughs that improve our lives, advance the frontiers of scientific discovery, and boost economic development,” explains ACM President Vicki L. Hanson. “Our global roster of 2016 Distinguished Members reminds us that excellence in our field knows no borders. For all our new Distinguished Members, we celebrate their dedication to computing, their creativity, and their exemplary professional accomplishments."

The 2016 ACM Distinguished Members work at leading universities, corporations and research institutions around the world, including Austria, Brazil, Canada, China, Hong Kong, India, Italy, Korea, Japan, the Netherlands, Singapore, Spain, the United Kingdom, and the United States. These trailblazers have made contributions in a wide range of technical areas including computer science education, data privacy, security, computer networking, machine learning, distributed systems, multimedia computing, human-computer interaction, programming languages, mobile and wireless networks, database management, information retrieval, computational biology, molecular computing, and software engineering, among others.

From the hottest new features on our mobile devices, to efforts to prevent a cyber war from damaging critical infrastructure systems, and even the ways in which advances in database management improve our next visit to the doctor, achievements in computing tangibly impact  our daily lives. In selecting 49 computing leaders as 2015 ACM Distinguished Members, ACM is highlighting how the work of these innovators is changing the world. This special recognition grade from ACM honors members working in the areas of education, engineering and science.

“Whenever we use an app on our phone to get driving directions, securely pay bills online, or conduct an internet search, we are benefiting from the research and efforts of computing professionals.” explains ACM President Alexander L. Wolf. “By honoring the 2015 ACM Distinguished Members, we hope to reinforce this idea. For each of our 100,000 + members around the world, learning about the achievements of their peers means connecting to new advances and promising research. For the general public, our recognition and awards program serves as a reminder that the technology we all take for granted springs from a dedicated community of professionals who are building on the foundations of their predecessors and shaping the future in significant new ways.”