Maja Matarić facts for kids
Maja Matarić is a famous American computer scientist and roboticist. She is also an AI (Artificial Intelligence) researcher. She teaches at the University of Southern California.
She is best known for creating a new field called socially assistive robotics. This is about making robots that can help people in a friendly, social way, not just by doing physical tasks. These robots give personalized help and support. Her work has helped many people, including older adults, stroke patients, and children with autism. These helpful robots have been used in hospitals, therapy centers, schools, and homes.
Maja Matarić also works to get more kids, young people, and women interested in computer science, engineering, and science.
About Maja Matarić
Maja Matarić was born in Belgrade, which was then the capital of Yugoslavia (now Serbia). She went to the University of Kansas for her first college degree.
After that, she studied at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). There, she earned her master's degree in 1990 and her Ph.D. in 1994. She then became a professor at Brandeis University in 1995.
In 1997, she moved to the University of Southern California. She became a professor there and also worked with the Neuroscience and Pediatrics departments. She has held many important leadership roles at the university.
Awards and Special Recognitions
Maja Matarić has received many important awards for her work. These awards show how much her contributions to science and robotics are valued.
- In 2009, President Barack Obama gave her the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring. This award recognized her efforts to help and inspire young people in science.
- She won the 2013 ABIE Award for Innovation from the Anita Borg Institute. This award celebrates women who make big changes in technology.
- She is a Fellow of several important scientific groups. These include the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS), the IEEE, the AAAI, and the ACM. Being a Fellow means she is recognized as a top expert in her field.
- She has also received awards like the Okawa Foundation Award and the National Science Foundation Career Award.
- She was featured in the MIT Technology Review as one of the top innovators under 35.
- In 2023, she was chosen to be a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. This is a very old and respected group that honors leaders in many fields.
Her work has been featured in many popular articles and documentaries. These include "Robots that Care" in The New Yorker and "The New Face of Autism Therapy" in Popular Science.
