Professor Tim Finin receives Distinguished Career Award from the Washington Academy of Sciences

Tim Finin, research professor of computer science and electrical engineering, will receive the 2026 Distinguished Career Award in Computer Science from the Washington Academy of Sciences. Finin, whose research has focused on the applications of artificial intelligence to problems in information systems and intelligent interfaces, is also the director of the Center for Artificial Intelligence at UMBC. The award will be presented at the Washington Academy of Sciences Annual Awards Banquet on May 7, 2026.

This prestigious award recognizes Finin’s lifetime of leadership and innovation. His official citation reads: “For seminal contributions to artificial intelligence technologies, including intelligent agents, the semantic web, and KQML standards, enabling machines to understand and share complex data.”

A pioneer in AI with over 50 years of experience, Finin’s research has provided the foundational framework for how machines process and exchange sophisticated knowledge, bridging the gap between raw data and digital intelligence.

“Dr. Finin’s fundamental contributions have shaped two major subfields of AI, Agentic AI systems and the semantic web, as his multiple awards, honors, and fellowships attest. Many of the faculty and students at UMBC also know him as a great mentor, who has shaped the education and careers of so many of us. It is inspiring when we meet alums who credit so much of their success to him,” says Anupam Joshi, Oros family professor of computer science and electrical engineering and vice provost and chief AI officer.

For more information, please visit the Washington Academy of Sciences website at washacadsci.org.