PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Fernanda Viégas

Also known as Fernanda Bertini Viégas, Fernanda B. Viégas, Fernanda Viegas

Fernanda Viégas is a computer scientist and designer whose work connects visualization with machine learning. At the University of Kansas she studied graphic design and art history, and at the MIT Media Lab she earned a master's degree in 2000. She co-authored the Embedding Projector paper in 2016, and in July 2017 she co-founded Google's People + AI Research initiative, which focuses on the human side of AI. Her ManyEyes paper received an IEEE VIS Test of Time award in 2017, and she co-authored the What-If Tool paper in 2019. Today she is a principal scientist at Google and Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science at Harvard.

Works
95
Citations
21,530
h-index
44

Publication numbers from OpenAlex, as of 15 October 2026.

Timeline

  1. 1997–2000

    Graphic design, then the Media Lab

    She studies graphic design and art history at the University of Kansas, earning a bachelor's degree in 1997. She then moves to the MIT Media Lab, where she earns an M.S. in 2000.

  2. April 2010

    Starting Flowing Media

    In April 2010 she and Martin Wattenberg start Flowing Media, a venture focused on visualization aimed at consumers and mass audiences.

  3. November 2016

    The Embedding Projector

    In November 2016 she is one of six authors of Embedding Projector: Interactive Visualization and Interpretation of Embeddings.

  4. 2017

    Test of Time award for ManyEyes

    In 2017 IEEE VIS gives its 10-year Test of Time Award to the ManyEyes paper, which she co-authored.

  5. July 2017

    Launching PAIR at Google

    In July 2017 Google launches PAIR, a People + AI Research initiative on the 'human side' of AI, which she co-founds.

  6. July 2019

    The What-If Tool

    In July 2019 she is one of six authors of The What-If Tool: Interactive Probing of Machine Learning Models.

  7. 2024

    Best Short Paper at IEEE VIS

    In 2024 she, Shivam Raval and Martin Wattenberg win the Best Short Paper award at IEEE VIS for Hypertrix: An indicatrix for high-dimensional visualizations.

  8. Since 2025

    Principal scientist at Google

    In 2025 she is a principal scientist at Google and Gordon McKay Professor of Computer Science at Harvard.

Sources and credits

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  1. Fernanda Viégas - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org. Checked 15 October 2026.
  2. [1611.05469] Embedding Projector: Interactive Visualization and Interpretation of Embeddings arxiv.org. Checked 15 October 2026.
  3. IEEE VIS 2017 ieeevis.org. Checked 15 October 2026.
  4. Google's new PAIR initiative focuses on the 'human side' of AI - SiliconANGLE siliconangle.com. Checked 15 October 2026.
  5. Fernanda Viégas | Berkman Klein Center cyber.harvard.edu. Checked 15 October 2026.
  6. [1907.04135] The What-If Tool: Interactive Probing of Machine Learning Models arxiv.org. Checked 15 October 2026.
  7. Best Paper and Poster Awards History aa.ieeevis.org. Checked 15 October 2026.
  8. DWPS 2025 Fernanda Viegas | NOVA IMS novaims.unl.pt. Checked 15 October 2026.