Eric Brill
Eric Brill's research in natural language processing covers part-of-speech tagging, transformation-based learning, and systems that answer questions from web pages. After a mathematics BA at the University of Chicago and a computer science MS at UT Austin, he completed a PhD at the University of Pennsylvania in 1994. He was an assistant professor at Johns Hopkins University from 1994 to 1999. In 2004 he predicted a shift from web-page based search to information based search, and his Ask MSR system used information from web pages to answer questions with a single word or phrase. eBay hired him in 2009 as vice president of research and applied science, and in 2012 he opened the CIKM industry event as eBay's VP of research.
- Works
- 97
- Citations
- 11,023
- h-index
- 37
Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 15 October 2026.
Timeline
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1987–1994
Three degrees, from Chicago to Pennsylvania
He earns a BA in mathematics at the University of Chicago in 1987 and an MS in computer science at UT Austin in 1989. In 1994 he completes a PhD at the University of Pennsylvania.
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1992
A rule-based part-of-speech tagger
He publishes A Simple Rule-Based Part of Speech Tagger in 1992, at a workshop in Harriman, New York.
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1994–1999
Assistant professor at Johns Hopkins
He joins Johns Hopkins University as an assistant professor in 1994, a post he holds until 1999.
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December 1995
Transformation-based error-driven learning
In December 1995 he publishes a paper on transformation-based error-driven learning and natural language processing.
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2004
The Ask MSR system
In 2004 he is quoted predicting a shift from web-page based search to information based search. His Ask MSR system uses information on web pages to respond to questions with a single word or phrase.
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2009–2012
Heading eBay's research labs
He joins eBay in 2009 as vice president of research and applied science, to lead its research labs. In 2012 he opens the CIKM industry event as eBay's VP of research.
Sources and credits
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