Gregory D. Hager, Ph.D., is the new assistant director for NSF’s Computer and Information Science and Engineering Directorate. He is a pioneering figure in the fields of robotics, computer vision, and healthcare technology and applications. During his tenure as the Mandell Bellmore Professor of Computer Science at Johns Hopkins University, Hager has consistently pushed the boundaries of interdisciplinary research, blending computer science research with applications in medicine and manufacturing to create innovative solutions addressing key challenges affecting our society. 

Hager’s research spans many areas of artificial intelligence and machine learning, including activity recognition and detection from video data; collaborative and vision-based robotics; and medical applications of machine learning, image analysis and robotics. Hager is particularly known for his pioneering work on the "language of surgery," which formalized the study of the process of surgery from video and motion data. This work has led to numerous scientific publications and several patents and is now an integral part of the growing field of surgical data science. Hager is also the co-founder of two startups: Clear Guide Medical, whose groundbreaking platform enables doctors and technicians to perform more accurate image-guided procedures, and Ready Robotics, dedicated to making industrial robots easier to use. 

Hager has had continuous funding from NSF for over 30 years in areas ranging from programming languages to computer vision and robotics to machine learning. A hallmark of this work has been his efforts to develop systems that learn from, collaborate with and amplify human performance. For example, his NSF National Robotics Initiative collaborative award explored how robots can learn from and collaborate with humans on complex manipulation tasks. In this project, Hager and his research team addressed manipulation problems that are challenging for autonomous robots but crucial for various applications, including surgery, manufacturing, and household tasks. Some of the advances included programming methods for demonstrated-guided robotics, self-supervised task segmentation models to support task modeling, and collaborative execution models using virtual fixtures. This project resulted in new methods to instruct and execute complex robotic manipulation tasks and was instrumental to the Ready Robotics start up.  

Hager contributed to Stanford University’s groundbreaking “100 Year Study on Artificial Intelligence” as an author, exploring AI's impacts across sectors such as transportation, healthcare, and entertainment up to 2030. The study acknowledged AI's potential societal challenges, such as job displacement, and underscored the importance of ethical considerations in AI application design and policy development to ensure widespread benefits. Additionally, he co-authored a response to NITRD’s “Draft Federal Health Information Technology Research and Development Strategic Framework,” stressing the prioritization of individual-driven health needs and addressing security and privacy concerns to advance health-related solutions. In another contribution, Hager co-authored a response concerning the National Artificial Intelligence R&D Strategic Plan, advocating for a focused effort on addressing ethical considerations in AI research to ensure AI enhances human capabilities rather than replacing them. 

Furthermore, Hager has authored papers exploring the evolving landscape of computing, including the emergence of highly powerful handheld devices and the integration of quantum computing into classical systems. He also co-authored a report on the future of computer research, highlighting the pivotal roles of technology, collaboration, career support, and infrastructure accessibility in shaping the future of computing and driving. 

Beyond his research contributions, Hager is also dedicated to nurturing the next generation of scientists and engineers. As a mentor and educator, he has influenced countless students, instilling in them a passion for research and innovation. 

“I’ve witnessed the evolution of computing research and education for nearly 40 years now - starting as a graduate student doing early work on vision-guided to robotics, continuing as a faculty member working on collaborative vision-guided systems, and most recently as a center director exploring ways to apply AI and robotics to medicine. Every decade brings new computing innovations, but each builds on the work of generations of researchers who create and translate basic discoveries into world-changing technologies. I look forward to helping to guide NSF and the CISE community as we nurture the seeds of future innovations.” 

The CISE directorate is thrilled to welcome Prof. Hager to the CISE family.