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Marilyn Mantei Tremaine
Marilyn Tremaine 2010.jpg
Nationality American
Alma mater University of Wisconsin
University of Southern California
Occupation Computer scientist
Known for Human–computer interaction - Computer-supported cooperative work
Spouse(s) Scott Tremaine

Marilyn Mantei Tremaine is an American computer scientist. She is a top expert in how people and computers work together, a field called human–computer interaction. Many see her as a pioneer, meaning she was one of the first important people in this area.

Her School Days

Marilyn Tremaine studied many subjects! She earned a bachelor's degree in math, physics, and French from the University of Wisconsin. Later, in 1982, she got her PhD (a very advanced degree) in communication theory from the University of Southern California. For the last two years of her PhD, she worked at Carnegie Mellon University with Professor Allen Newell.

Awards and Honors

Marilyn Tremaine has received many important awards for her work.

  • In 2005, she received the ACM SIGCHI Lifetime Service Award. This award honors people who have given a lot to the field of human-computer interaction over many years.
  • She also received the Canadian Human Computer Communications Society Achievement Award in 2010.
  • The Usability Professionals Association gave her a Lifetime Achievement Award in 2010.
  • In 2022, Tremaine was chosen to be part of the ACM CHI Academy. This is a special group of top experts in human-computer interaction.

Her Career in Computers

Tremaine's career in teaching and research began at the University of Michigan Business School. In 1988, she became a professor at the University of Toronto in Canada, working in their Computer Science Department. She was also part of the Dynamic Graphics Project.

In 1997, she moved back to the US. She joined Drexel University as a Professor of Computer and Information Systems. Later, in 2001, she became a professor and chair of the Information Systems Department at the New Jersey Institute of Technology. In 2008, she was a research professor at Rutgers University. Today, she teaches as an adjunct professor at the University of Toronto.

Tremaine is also recognized as a distinguished alumni of the University of Toronto's Knowledge Media Design Institute. She has also worked as a vice president for three software startup companies and as a senior research scientist at the EDS Center for Applied Research.

Helping the Field Grow

Marilyn Tremaine helped start ACM SIGCHI. This is a major group for people who work on human-computer interaction. She was the president of SIGCHI from 1999 to 2002. She also served in other important roles, like vice-president of communications and finance. Tremaine has been on six editorial boards for different journals and has received two teaching awards from universities.

Tremaine is well-known for her studies on how people first used interactive computer programs. She also researched collaborative software, which helps people work together using computers. She developed ways to show how useful "usability engineering" is. This field focuses on making computer systems easy and enjoyable to use.

Her other research interests include:

  • Designing interfaces that use sound (auditory) or many senses (multimodal).
  • How global teams develop software.
  • Creating computer interfaces for people who are blind or visually impaired.
  • Designing interfaces for people with Aphasia (a language disorder) or those recovering from a stroke.

Tremaine has also created educational programs in human-computer interaction. One example is the Master of Business and Science program on User Experience Design at Rutgers University. She also helped develop resources for teaching human-computer interaction through SIGCHI.

Her Personal Life

Marilyn Tremaine lives in Toronto, Canada. She is married to the astrophysicist Scott Tremaine. Marilyn Tremaine enjoys cooking and catering formal dinners.

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