EECS professor Stuart Russell elected to Royal Society

Stuart J. Russell, professor of computer science and the Smith-Zadeh Chair in Engineering, has joined 89 other “exceptional scientists” elected to the Royal Society, the world’s oldest scientific academy in continuous existence. 

The British computer scientist is counted among the United Kingdom academy’s list of 70 national fellows this year. 

Russell is a “pioneering thinker” in the field of artificial intelligence, and his 1995 textbook with Peter Norvig, “Artificial Intelligence: A Modern Approach,” continues to be a foundational text. His research has covered areas ranging from machine learning to multitarget tracking, and he’s working to shepherd the use of AI in ways that benefit humanity. In February, he was named to the National Academy of Engineering. 

Sir Adrian Smith, president of the Royal Society, said this cohort’s “achievements represent the very best of scientific endeavour, from basic discovery to research with real-world impact across health, technology and policy. From tackling global health challenges to reimagining what AI can do for humanity, their work is a testament to the power of curiosity-driven research and innovation.”

In recent years, Ramamoorthy Ramesh, professor of physics and of materials science and engineering, and Michael Jordan, professor of electrical engineering and computer sciences and of statistics, were elected as foreign fellows. 

Other notable members include Stephen Hawking, Isaac Newton, Charles Darwin, Albert Einstein and UC Berkeley professor Jennifer Doudna.