■ Joseph A. Konstan earned an A.B. Konstan is currently Chair of ACM’s SIG magna cum laude with highest honors in Governing Board. In this role (and as part Computer Science from Harvard College of ACM’s Executive Committee) he has in 1987; he earned an M.S. (1990) and taken on challenges related to ACM-W Ph.D. (1993) in Computer Science from and the support of women in computing the University of California, Berkeley, with and to the internationalization of ACM. a dissertation on user interface toolkit Previously, he served as President of ACM software architecture, focusing on event SIGCHI, as vice-Chair of both the SGB handling, layout management, and data and the Membership Services Board, and change propagation. He immediately on the Executive Committee of ACM SIG-joined the faculty of Computer Science at Multimedia. He was general chair of UIST the University of Minnesota, where he was 2003 and ACM Recommender Systems most recently promoted to Full Professor 2007; program co-chair for ACM Multi-in 2005. He has served the University media 2000; doctoral symposium chair for in several roles, including as Director of three ACM conferences; and a volunteer in Graduate Studies for Software Engineer- many roles for a variety of conferences. ing, DGS for Computer Science, and as the University’s representative to (and vice-chair of) the Federal Demonstration

Partnership (where he works to reduce administrative burden related to research grants).

Dr. Konstan is an ACM Distinguished

Scientist, and has served as an ACM Distinguished Lecturer. He has authored over 85 peer-reviewed papers, articles, and book chapters, and holds six U.S. patents.

His recent work spans three research challenges: Recommender Systems—the design and development of systems that personalize content based on user preferences; Online Community—designing the structure and implementation of online communities to better elicit user contributions; and E-Public Health—specifically a current clinical trial of an online “ experience” designed to reduce HIV risk-taking in high-risk men.

STATEMENT

■ I am honored by this nomination. Since Third, better inreach and outreach. first volunteering in 1994, I have enjoyed We must improve our ways of informing working with talented and dedicated ACM members of the activities and content that volunteers and staff. Since entering lead- interest each of you. And we need to do ership five years ago, I’ve seen up-close a better job reaching out to conference many of the tremendous things we’re attendees, chapter meeting attendees, and doing for the field and our members. online visitors to help them find ACM

From the Digital Library and Portal to activities and content of interest, including our Professional Development Center, we membership in ACM and its SIGs. provide great online resources for com- And finally, I feel ACM has a role in puting professionals. guiding our field as we struggle with the

Through CSTA and the Education Board relationship between “computer science” and Council, we’re nurturing a motivated and broader “computing.” I look forward and capable pipeline of students. Our SIG to these challenges, and to working conferences are the technical and profes- together on them. sional networking highlight for thousands. And our transactions, journals, and magazines are the best in the business.

At the same time, we must improve. We’re investing in India and China— working with local leaders to understand how to support the advancement of the science and practice of computing. We’ve redesigned Communications of the ACM to make it more relevant to our membership, more timely, and more representative of the best work in all of computing.

I’d like to pursue four other important issues. First, our local activities program. While ACM has many chapters worldwide, our support for local activities and local volunteers needs enhancement: increased access to technical programs, better online tools to help local leaders manage membership and communications, and local volunteer development and support.

Second, better support outside North America. While our SIGs and staff have done an excellent job bringing our conferences around the world, we too often operate as an “American presence” in “foreign lands.” We must gain the expertise, the tools, and the worldwide volunteer leadership to help us operate in locally appropriate ways while maintaining ACM’s high technical quality standards.