This week, the White House honored University of Minnesota Professor Maria Gini with the Prize Presidential Award for Excellence in Mentoring in Science, Mathematics and Engineering. Gini is one of 25 people across the country to receive the nation’s highest honor for science and math mentors, highlighting the vital role America’s teachers and mentors play in training the next generation of technical leaders, including scientists, engineers, explorers and innovators.
Gini, a professor in the College of Science and Engineering, is a world-renowned computer science researcher, educator and mentor. It is an industry leader in the field of robotics, artificial intelligence and multi-agent systems.
“For more than 40 years, Professor Gini has embodied an unwavering commitment to student success, and his extraordinary leadership as a mentor to underrepresented students in STEM has had a profound impact on the academic and professional journeys of countless people at the University of Minnesota,” said University of Minnesota President Rebecca Cunningham. “Whether through his classroom teaching or innovative outreach programs to local high school students, Professor Gini played a role important in inspiring the next generation of leaders who will push the boundaries of science and technology for the better of our society.
Gini has worked at the University of Minnesota since 1982. She is a mentor for the National Science Foundation program. CSGrad4US program and as chair of the Diversity and Inclusion Committee of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence. Gini runs a summer program at the University of Minnesota teaching computer programming to high school girls and mentors undergraduate, master’s, and doctoral students at the University of Minnesota and peer institutions. She was named a Morse-Alumni Distinguished Professor in 1987 and a College of Science and Engineering Distinguished Professor in 2008. She is also an IEEE Fellow, a Fellow of the ACM, and received the President’s Award for Outstanding Service in 2019.
“Receiving this incredibly prestigious award will boost my self-confidence and give me renewed energy to continue mentoring students and junior colleagues,” Gini said. “This award should really be given to all the people who have supported me, inspiring me to share what I learned from them and to continue learning from my mentees. »
Established by Congress in 1995, the Presidential Award for Excellence in Mentoring in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering honors excellence demonstrated by mentors in expanding participation in STEM pathways and mentoring individuals from underrepresented groups in STEM education and the workforce. The National Science Foundation, which administers the award on behalf of the Office of Science and Technology Policy, pays $10,000 to each recipient. Learn more about paesmem.net.