White House Honors Maria Gini with Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring

Department of Computer Science & Engineering (CS&E) Professor Maria Gini has earned the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring (PAESMEM) from President Joe Biden. Gini is one of 25 mentors from across the nation to receive the nation’s highest award for science and mathematics mentors, which highlights the vital role that America’s teachers and mentors play in shaping the next generation of technical leaders, including scientists, engineers, explorers and innovators.
“Maria’s impact on diversity in computing has been invaluable to our department and the entire field,” said Mats Heimdahl, professor and CS&E department head. “She is a force of nature and we are eternally grateful for her efforts.”
Established by Congress in 1995, the PAESMEM has honored the hard work and dedication mentors exhibit in broadening participation in STEM pathways. This award honors individuals and organizations that have demonstrated excellence in mentoring individuals from groups that are underrepresented in STEM education and the workforce. Colleagues, administrators, and students nominate individuals and organizations for exemplary mentoring sustained over a minimum of five years.
“Receiving this incredibly prestigious award will reinforce confidence in myself and will give me renewed energy to continue mentoring students and junior colleagues,” said Gini. “This award really should go to all the people who supported me, inspiring me to share what I learned from them and to continue learning from my mentees.”
Maria Gini joined the University of Minnesota Twin Cities (UMN) in 1982, and has become a world-renowned researcher, educator, and mentor in the field of computer science. Considered an industry leader in robotics, artificial intelligence, and multi-agent systems, she is a College of Science and Engineering Distinguished Professor, a Distinguished University Teaching Professor, and holds fellowships with the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI), the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM), and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers (IEEE).
Gini’s achievements in teaching, mentorship, and community contributions have been recognized by numerous awards, including the International Joint Conference on Artificial Intelligence (IJCAI) Donald E. Walker Distinguished Service Award (2024); Computing Research Association (CRA) A. Nico Habermann Award (2019); UMN’s President’s Award for Outstanding Service (2019); National Center for Women and Information Technology (NCWIT) Harrold and Notkin Research and Graduate Mentoring Award (2018); AAAI Distinguished Service Award (2016); UMN’s Award for Outstanding Contributions to Postbaccalaureate, Graduate, and Professional Education (2016); and UMN’s Mullen-Spector-Truax Women's Leadership Award (2011).
Gini is a constant advocate for diversity at the local, national and international level, serving as the chair for the committee for diversity and inclusion for AAAI and a mentor for the National Science Foundation’s (NSF) CSGrad4US program. Within CS&E, Gini runs a summer program to teach high school girls computer programming, introduced complementary courses to introductory computer science courses with a goal of lowering the DFW rate - which measures students that receive a D or F, or withdraw from the course, and mentors undergraduate, master’s, and PhD students both at UMN and peer institutions. Additionally, Gini has supported her students by securing funding to provide scholarships for students with financial hardships, and intentionally recruiting PhD students from underrepresented backgrounds for her research group.
“I think diversity helps enrich the learning experience and allows everyone to have a seat at the table,” said Gini. “For women in particular, there is a lot of research out there pointing to how women positively influence groups of people. When we welcome new perspectives, it's good for everyone.”
A national selection committee assesses the nominations before recommending awardees to NSF and the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP). NSF, which manages PAESMEM on behalf of OSTP, provides each recipient $10,000. For more information, please visit the PAESMEM website.