The Gator Nation is everywhere: UF professor lands spot on National Science Board

President Joe Biden has appointed University of Florida (UF) computer science professor Juan Gilbert to the National Science Board.

The eight-member National Science Board serves as an independent body of advisers to both the President and Congress on policy matters related to science, technology and math. In addition to publishing major reports, the Board prepares policy papers and statements on issues of importance to U.S. science and engineering.

“Dr. Juan Gilbert’s research has pioneered new voting systems to help safeguard democracy,” said UF Interim President Kent Fuchs, himself a former National Science Board member appointed during the Barack Obama administration.

“This great honor is well deserved and further enhances UF’s reputation for excellence. We are tremendously proud of Juan’s work and this prestigious appointment. University of Florida researchers are committed to advancing science and engineering alongside our federal partners.”

Gilbert, the Andrew Banks Family Preeminence Endowed Professor, and Chair of UF’s Department of Computer & Information Science and Engineering, leads the Computing for Social Good Lab, which focuses on projects that are at the intersection of people, technology, and society.

Biden previously honored Gilbert with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation for pioneering a universal voting system that makes voting more reliable and accessible for everyone and for increasing diversity in the computer science workforce.

“This tremendous honor marks far more than Juan’s technical acumen or his relentless drive to help students from all walks of life become leaders in STEM fields,” said Forrest Masters, interim dean for UF’s Herbert Wertheim College of Engineering. “What it tells us is that Juan is a trusted voice that the president of the United States deems vital in shaping the nation’s science agenda.”

Gilbert’s research projects include election security, usability and accessibility, advanced learning technologies, human-centered artificial intelligence and machine learning, and ethnocomputing, or culturally relevant computing.

He is the inventor of Prime III, an open-source, secure and accessible voting system that accommodates individuals with disabilities and ensures the reliability and security of every vote. It is the only open-source voting system to be used in state, local and federal elections.

“Serving on the National Science Board is a tremendous honor and responsibility. The ability to set the scientific agenda for the nation is a major responsibility,” Gilbert said. “Also, serving as an expert to the President and Congress is an acknowledgment of the research accomplishments from our lab over the years. Serving with so many other esteemed researchers and leaders is humbling. I am truly honored to be a member of the NSB.”

Gilbert was one of more than a dozen appointments — and one of eight to the National Science Board — announced by the Biden administration on Tuesday.