Coty Gonzalez Elected AAAS Fellow

Carnegie Mellon University’s Cleotilde “Coty” Gonzalez has been elected a fellow of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). 

The fellow distinction is a lifetime honor achievement within the organization, which promotes the use of science, technology, engineering and mathematics to solve current issues.

A research professor in the Department of Social and Decision Sciences (SDS), Gonzalez has been recognized by AAAS for “distinguished contributions to the field of cognitive science, particularly the development of Instance-Based Learning Theory, from which computational models have emerged in cybersecurity, network science and human-machine teaming.”

The AAAS Fellows class of 2024 includes 471 scientists, engineers and innovators who have been recognized for their scientifically and socially distinguished achievements. Gonzalez is the 15th faculty member from Dietrich College of Humanities and Social Sciences to be elected a fellow of AAAS. She will be inducted on June 7 during the AAAS annual meeting in Washington, D.C.

“This year’s class of fellows are the embodiment of scientific excellence and service to our communities,” said Sudip S. Parikh, AAAS chief executive officer and executive publisher of the Science family of journals. “At a time when the future of the scientific enterprise in the U.S. and around the world is uncertain, their work demonstrates the value of sustained investment in science and engineering.”

Gonzalez is the founding director of the Dynamic Decision Making Laboratory. In addition to her appointment in SDS, she is affiliated with the CyLab Security and Privacy Institute, Human-Computer Interaction Institute, Software and Societal Systems Department and Center for Neural Basis of Cognition (CNBC).

“Throughout my career, I have been driven by a deep passion for understanding how humans make decisions in dynamic environments and how we can design cognitive systems that both emulate and enhance human decision-making,” Gonzalez said. “This recognition underscores the significance of my interdisciplinary approach, bridging cognitive science, computer science, and decision science to advance our understanding of the interactions between humans and technology.”

Gonzalez has been principal or co-investigator on a wide range of multimillion-dollar, multi-year collaborative efforts with government and industry. She serves as research co-director of the National Science Foundation-funded AI Institute for Societal Decision Making. In addition, she is involved in Multi-University Research Initiative grants from the Army Research Laboratories and Army Research Office; large collaborative projects with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) and the Intelligence Advanced Research Projects Activity (IARPA).

“Being inducted as an AAAS fellow is an incredible honor that not only recognizes my contributions to cognitive science but also reflects the collective efforts of my students, postdoctoral researchers and collaborators”, Gonzalez said. “I am deeply grateful for the opportunity to contribute to this field and to mentor the next generation of scientists who will continue to push the boundaries of human-AI complementarity.”

Gonzalez is a fellow of the Cognitive Science Society and the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. She is also a member of the governing board of the Cognitive Science Society and a member of the advisory committee for the Division of Behavioral and Social Sciences and Education at the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine. She is a senior editor for Topics in Cognitive Science, a consulting editor for Decision and associate editor for the System Dynamics Review. She also is a member of editorial boards for journals including Cognitive Science, Psychological Review and Perspectives on Psychological Science