Li Named Distinguished Member of the Association for Computing Machinery

The Association for Computing Machinery (ACM) has recognized Hai “Helen” Li, associate professor of electrical and computer engineering at Duke University, as a Distinguished Member for outstanding contributions to the field.

Li’s research focuses on developing the next generation of computer hardware based on the fastest, most efficient example we know of—the human brain. Along with 42 of her colleagues, the group is responsible for an extraordinary array of achievements, reflecting the many distinct areas of research and practice in the computing and information technology fields.

“Computing technology is becoming an increasingly dominant force in our daily lives and is transforming society at every level,” said Vicki L. Hanson, president of the ACM. “In naming a new roster of Distinguished Members each year, ACM underscores that the innovations which improve our lives do not come about by accident, but rather are the result of the hard work, inspiration and creativity of leading professionals in the field. We honor the 2017 class of ACM Distinguished Members for the essential role their accomplishments play in how we live and work.”

The 2017 ACM Distinguished Members work at leading universities, corporations and research institutions around the world, including Australia, Belgium, Canada, France, Hong Kong, Italy, The Netherlands, Portugal, Qatar, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea and the United States. These innovators have made contributions in a wide range of technical areas including accessibility, computational geometry, cryptography, computer security, computer science education, data structures, healthcare technologies, human-computer interaction, nanoscale computing, robotics and software engineering —to name a few.

The ACM Distinguished Member program recognizes up to 10 percent of ACM worldwide membership based on professional experience as well as significant achievements in the computing field.