College of Computing & Informatics (CCI) Professor & Information Science Department Head Andrea Forte, PhD was recognized by the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) as a 2021 Distinguished Member for her outstanding contributions to the computing field.
Forte is named among 63 Distinguished Members who are longstanding ACM members selected by their peers for a range of accomplishments that advance computing as a science and a profession.
“Dr. Forte is a tremendously valued leader, scholar and colleague at CCI, and we are extremely proud of her achievements,” said Isaac L. Auerbach Professor and CCI Dean Yi Deng, PhD. “This well-deserved honor not only celebrates Dr. Forte’s significant contributions to the field, but also recognizes her profound impact as an educator in guiding and inspiring students to pursue careers in computing and information science.”
Forte’s research addresses different features of online life, including how people collaborate and share information as well as the threats and risks associated with doing so. Her past work has examined the ways that people interact to create things and learn in socio-technical systems like Wikipedia, online learning environments, family history sites, and social network sites. More recently, Forte has been investigating how technical and social infrastructure supports peoples’ privacy practices online with special attention to marginalized populations. She is the recipient of multiple National Science Foundation grants, including the prestigious Faculty Early Career Development (CAREER) award.
The ACM Distinguished Member program recognizes up to 10 percent of ACM worldwide membership based on professional experience and significant achievements in the computing field. To be nominated, a candidate must have at least 15 years of professional experience in the computing field, five years of professional ACM membership in the last 10 years, and have achieved a significant level of accomplishment, or made a significant impact in the field of computing, computer science or information technology.
Forte, who joined Drexel’s faculty in 2010, leads the College’s Social Computing Research Group — an interdisciplinary team of researchers who study and design technologies that mediate human collaboration, communication and learning. The group investigates the communication and interface features that surface socially relevant information, as well as the underlying computational features that shape social interaction, like recommendation and reputation systems. They have received funding and support from NSF, Institute for Museum and Library Services (IMLS), the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation, and Drexel’s ExCITE Center.
Forte received her PhD from the College of Computing at Georgia Institute of Technology in human-centered computing with a focus on social computing and learning sciences. She also holds an MLIS in Library and Information Science from University of Texas at Austin’s School of Information, and a BA in Foreign Language & Literature (German) and Philosophy from Western Michigan University. For more information about Forte’s research, visit andreaforte.net.