PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Ben Shneiderman

Ben Shneiderman is a computer scientist whose research covers human-computer interaction and information visualization, and his 2022 book brings a human-centered view to AI. He moved to the University of Maryland in 1976 and became founding director of its Human-Computer Interaction Lab in 1983. His book Designing the User Interface, first published in 1986, includes eight golden rules of interface design. He was elected to the National Academy of Engineering in 2010. As of October 2026, he is a retired emeritus professor at Maryland, and he no longer takes students or visiting researchers.

Photo of Ben Shneiderman

Timeline

  1. 1968–1973

    Computer science degrees

    At City College he earns a BS in mathematics and physics in 1968. Then at Stony Brook he earns an MS in computer science in 1972 and a PhD in 1973.

  2. 1976–1983

    Founding director of the HCI Lab

    In 1976 he moves to the University of Maryland, and in 1983 he becomes founding director of its Human-Computer Interaction Lab.

  3. 1986

    Designing the User Interface

    The first edition of Designing the User Interface appears in 1986, and its eight golden rules of interface design are frequently taught.

  4. 2001

    A CHI lifetime achievement award

    In 2001, he receives the ACM CHI Lifetime Achievement Award.

  5. 2010

    Joining the National Academy of Engineering

    Election to the National Academy of Engineering comes in 2010, honoring research, software development and scholarly texts on human-computer interaction and information visualization.

  6. 2017

    Retiring after 41 years

    Retirement from Maryland comes in June 2017, capping 41 years at the university.

  7. 2022

    The Human-Centered AI book

    A new book, Human-Centered AI, appears in 2022 and calls for a human-centered perspective on AI so that it better serves human needs.

  8. As of October 2026

    A retired emeritus professor

    He is a retired emeritus professor in computer science at Maryland, and he no longer takes students or visiting researchers.

Sources and credits

Photo: Robert Kosara, via Wikimedia Commons. License: CC0. Source: commons.wikimedia.org. Cropped to a square and resized. Ask us to remove or replace this photo.

  1. Ben Shneiderman - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org. Checked 14 October 2026.
  2. Ben Shneiderman one of three Clark School NAE inductees | Institute for Systems Research isr.umd.edu. Checked 14 October 2026.
  3. Distinguished University Professor Ben Shneiderman Set to Retire | University of Maryland Institute for Advanced Computer Studies umiacs.umd.edu. Checked 14 October 2026.
  4. New book by Ben Shneiderman focuses on Human-Centered AI opportunities | Institute for Systems Research isr.umd.edu. Checked 14 October 2026.
  5. Ben Shneiderman | ITIF itif.org. Checked 14 October 2026.
  6. Ben Shneiderman cs.umd.edu. Checked 14 October 2026.