Journal Celebrates Pioneer in Human Computer Interaction

COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- For only the second time in its 19-year history the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction is honoring one of the field's founding fathers with a special edition (Volume 23, Issue 3). This issue celebrates the 60th birthday of Ben Shneiderman, a University of Maryland professor of computer science and founder of the University of Maryland's Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory (HCIL).

In the journal, fellow researchers and former students recognize and pay tribute to Shneiderman and his abundant and fundamental contributions to a field that makes digital life easier for millions of people, many of whom may not even know the field exists.

An editor, researcher and author of more than of 13 books and 140 journal articles, Shneiderman has introduced many innovative programs and methods that have benefited everyone from computer science professionals to the everyday computer user. In 2001, his seminal work also was recognized by the Association for Computing Machinery with a Computer Human Interaction Lifetime Achievement Award given for Shneiderman's "cumulative contributions to the field; influence on the work of others, and development of new research directions."

"By bringing scientific methods to the study of human use of computers, Ben Shneiderman has played a key role in developing a new academic discipline that promotes more useable information and computing technologies," said co-editors Catherine Plaisant and Chris North in their introduction to the special issue of the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction. "Ben has shaped technology evolution through his more than 300 + technical publications as well as inspirational keynotes, the leading text book, informative tutorials, satellite TV broadcasts, and research seminars."

They note that the articles in this special issue are not simply dedicated to furthering the field of Human-Computer Interaction but are directly related to projects and technologies that Shneiderman pioneered throughout his career. Topics addressed in the issue include:
* Interactive Visualization Techniques and their current uses
* Digital Photo Management
* Recent Progresses in Effective Information Searches
* Social Issues and Concerns in Human-Computer Interaction

"It's greatly satisfying to see the emergence of HCI as a major interdisciplinary topic over the past 25 years," says Shneiderman. "The remarkable tools that users have enable them to do work, have fun, and make discoveries, but of course there is much work to be done in making these tools universally usable. The best is yet to come."

Founded by Shneiderman in 1983, the University of Maryland's Human Computer Interaction Laboratory has conducted leading edge interdisciplinary research on theory and design of interactive computer systems for almost 25 years. The lab brings together computer science researchers with those from many other disciplines (such as psychology, education and engineering) to develop technologies that reflect people's needs and dreams. Over the years, Shneiderman and the lab's other researchers (faculty, staff and students) have developed theories, built systems, and conducted experiments in hypertext/hypermedia, touchscreens, menu selection, layout appropriateness and consistency, and the visualization, storage and easy management of all kinds of digital information.

Part of the university's Institute for Advanced Computer Studies, HCIL members have created or worked on applications such as the world's largest international digital library for children; public access systems for the U. S. Holocaust Memorial Museum, Library of Congress, and Smithsonian Institution; case work management systems for the Maryland Department of Juvenile Justice; home automation systems; educational technologies and medical information systems.

The lab, currently directed by associate professor Allison Druin, has led development of many widely-used commercial products, including the early hypertext authoring/browsing system, Hyperties (from Cognetics Corporation, Princeton Jct., NJ) which was a precursor of the World Wide Web. It presented the notion of selectable highlighted terms embedded in text - the hot link - as well as selectable areas in figures - the image map. HCIL researchers were early developers of home automation systems, high precision touch screens now used in many personal electronic devices, and several database query facilities.

One of Shneiderman's most recent HCIL research projects is called Community Response Grids, a new approach to emergency and disaster response/notification that has received significant government and media attention. The project evolved from the 911.gov article he co-authored in the journal Science with Jennifer Preece, dean of the University of Maryland's College of Information Studies.

Read more about Shneiderman and his work on his HCIL Web page.

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