PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Hanna Wallach

Also known as Hanna M. Wallach, Hanna Megan Wallach

As of October 2026, Hanna Wallach is a vice president and distinguished scientist in the FATE group at Microsoft Research New York City. After a computer science degree from Cambridge in 2001, she joined the University of Massachusetts Amherst in 2007. The Women in Machine Learning workshop, which she co-founded, held its first edition in 2006, and in 2016 she received the Anita Borg Early Career Award. She was general chair of NeurIPS in 2019 and worked with machine learning practitioners on an AI ethics checklist in 2020. In 2022 she founded the STAC group within Microsoft Research, whose mission is to guide the sociotechnical alignment of AI systems.

Timeline

  1. 2001

    A Cambridge computer science degree

    At Newnham College, Cambridge, she earns a BA in computer science in 2001.

  2. 2006

    Founding the WiML workshop

    The first Women in Machine Learning workshop is held in 2006, and she helps found it with Jennifer Wortman Vaughan and Lisa Wainer.

  3. 2007–2010

    Assistant professor at Amherst

    Her post at the University of Massachusetts Amherst begins in 2007, and she is made an assistant professor in 2010.

  4. 2016

    An Anita Borg early career award

    The Anita Borg Early Career Award goes to her and Martha Kim in 2016.

  5. 2019

    General chair of NeurIPS

    At the 2019 Conference on Neural Information Processing Systems, she serves as general chair.

  6. 2020

    An AI ethics checklist

    Working with machine learning practitioners, she helps create an AI ethics checklist in 2020. The idea comes from a Hidden Brain podcast about checklists.

  7. 2022

    Founding the STAC group

    Within Microsoft Research, she founds the STAC group in 2022, with a mission to guide the sociotechnical alignment of AI systems.

  8. As of October 2026

    Vice president and distinguished scientist

    Her current post is vice president and distinguished scientist in the FATE group at Microsoft Research New York City.

Sources and credits

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  1. Hanna Wallach - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org. Checked 15 October 2026.
  2. Fairness and interpretability in AI: Putting people first - Microsoft Research microsoft.com. Checked 15 October 2026.
  3. Finding a community: Women in Machine Learning workshop celebrates 10th year - Microsoft Research microsoft.com. Checked 15 October 2026.
  4. Martha Kim and Hanna Wallach are BECA winners for 2016 - CRA-WP cra.org. Checked 15 October 2026.
  5. 2019 Organizing Committee neurips.cc. Checked 15 October 2026.
  6. STAC: Sociotechnical Alignment Center - Microsoft Research microsoft.com. Checked 15 October 2026.
  7. Hanna Wallach at Microsoft Research microsoft.com. Checked 15 October 2026.