PeopleofSuperintelligence

Researcher

Kay Berkling

Also known as Kay Margarethe Berkling

Kay Berkling is a computer scientist whose work connects speech recognition and AI with children's learning. She earned a computer engineering degree at Syracuse in 1991 and a PhD focused on automatic speech recognition at Oregon Graduate Institute in 1996, then worked at MIT Lincoln Laboratory and UBS before becoming a software engineering professor in Puerto Rico in 2004. After moving to Germany in 2008, she joined DHBW Karlsruhe in 2012, led DHBW's iREAD reading-app project, and coauthored a 2023 paper on using AI to convert text into pictures for children's language learning. She received the NEO Prize for Phontosia in 2016, Baden-Württemberg's State Teaching Prize in 2021, and an ISCA Fellowship in 2024; as of October 2026, she leads DHBW Mosbach's online computer science bachelor's program.

Now at
Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University and Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University Mosbach

Timeline

  1. 1991–1996

    Engineering degree and PhD

    She earns a BS in computer engineering at Syracuse University in 1991. In 1996, she completes a PhD at Oregon Graduate Institute of Science and Technology, focused on automatic speech recognition.

  2. By 2004

    A professorship in Puerto Rico

    After working at MIT Lincoln Laboratory and UBS's innovation lab in Switzerland, she receives an appointment as a full professor of software engineering at the Polytechnic University of Puerto Rico in 2004.

  3. 2008–2012

    Professor at DHBW Karlsruhe

    She moves to Germany in 2008 and completes teacher training to extend her research in language and media education. On May 1, 2012, she becomes a professor of computer science at DHBW Karlsruhe.

  4. 2015–2021

    ISCA service and two prizes

    She serves on ISCA's board for Communication from 2015 to 2019. Her Phontosia project wins the NEO Prize from TechnologieRegion Karlsruhe in 2016, and she receives Baden-Württemberg's State Teaching Prize in 2021.

  5. 2017–2020

    Leading iREAD for children

    From 2017 to 2020, she leads DHBW's work on iREAD, a European project that develops new learning technologies and software to support primary-school reading skills.

  6. 2023

    AI for children's language learning

    In 2023, she coauthors a paper on a language-training approach that uses AI methods to convert text into pictures to improve children's expression skills.

  7. 2024

    An ISCA Fellowship

    ISCA elects her a Fellow in 2024 for contributions to education, improving childhood learning, and boosting diversity through interactive technology.

  8. As of October 2026

    Leading New Study Informatik

    In November 2025, she leads the New Study Informatik bachelor's program at DHBW Mosbach. As of October 2026, she leads the online computer science bachelor's program, heads the Center for Agile Distributed Learning Communities, and is a professor of computer science.

Career

  1. Since 2012Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State UniversityProfessor of Computer Science, Online Computer Science Bachelor's Program Lead
  2. NowBaden-Württemberg Cooperative State University MosbachHead
  3. From 2004Polytechnic University of Puerto RicoFull Professor of Software Engineering

Education

  1. 1996Oregon Graduate InstitutePhD
  2. 1991Syracuse UniversityBS in Computer Engineering

From the biography.

  1. More people shaping AI studied at Massachusetts Institute of Technology than at any other institutionIncludes Massachusetts Institute of Technology. We estimate where the people shaping AI studied and where their careers led. Massachusetts Institute of Technology leads with 467 former students, including 291 recorded doctorates.
  2. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other universityIncludes Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The Massachusetts Institute of Technology trained or employed 44 of the 187 AI major-prize winners, more than any other university. We compare doctorate and 5+ year employment links, career timing and current workplaces for 187 major-prize and 1,111 best-paper winners.
  3. Google had the most people shaping AI every year from 2014 to 2025Includes Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Our estimates of which organizations employed the most people shaping AI each year from 1955 to 2025, tracing the shift from university labs to companies.
  4. The company share of AI researchers’ top papers was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974Includes Massachusetts Institute of Technology. We estimate where the people shaping AI worked when their most-cited papers appeared: the company share was 31% in 2020–2024 and 8% in 1970–1974, and Google led all organizations in 2020–2024.

Sources and credits

Photo: We have no published photo of Kay Berkling yet. Send us a free-licensed photo.

  1. Caribbean Artificial Intelligence Group at PUPR ai.pupr.net. Checked 20 October 2026.
  2. An der DHBW Karlsruhe mag Professorin Berkling vor allem die Zusammenarbeit mit den Studierenden karlsruhe.dhbw.de. Checked 20 October 2026.
  3. Previous Board Members isca-speech.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  4. iREAD — Personalised Reading Apps for Primary School Children karlsruhe.dhbw.de. Checked 20 October 2026.
  5. ISCApad #310: Message of Dr Odette Scharenborg, ISCA president services.isca-speech.org. Checked 20 October 2026.
  6. Upskill Summit HN: Weiterbildungskonzepte für die Zukunft cas.dhbw.de. Checked 20 October 2026.
  7. Service & Contact mosbach.dhbw.de. Checked 20 October 2026.