Trailblazing Director of MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory Celebrated for Pioneering Robotics Innovations Solving Real-World Challenges
PALO ALTO, Calif., JAN. 6, 2025 — SymphonyAI, a leader in predictive and generative AI SaaS products for the enterprise, congratulates independent board member Daniela Rus. An eminent data science and AI innovator and head of MIT’s Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Laboratory, Dr. Rus has received two prestigious awards: The John Scott Award and the IEEE Edison Medal.
The John Scott Award, established in 1816, and the IEEE Edison Medal, named after the legendary inventor Thomas Edison, recognize individuals whose work enhances the well-being of humanity. Rus’s receipt of these honors highlights her exceptional contributions and the broad impact of her work in advancing AI and robotics technologies. Dr. Rus received the 2024 John Scott Award for her “research that has revolutionized the science of robotics while dramatically improving the quality of human life,” and received the 2025 Edison Medal for her “leadership and pioneering work in modern robotics.”
Dr. Rus’s achievements underscore SymphonyAI’s commitment to excellence and innovation in AI. Her leadership and insights as part of the SymphonyAI board reflect the company’s focus on using AI to drive meaningful change and deliver transformative software products across diverse sectors.
“As a visionary in robotics and AI, Daniela Rus embodies the spirit of innovation and impact we champion at SymphonyAI. Her accomplishments inspire us, and we are immensely proud to have her as a guiding force on our board,” said Sanjay Dhawan, CEO of SymphonyAI. “The SymphonyAI team congratulates Daniela for her leadership in the potential of AI and robotics.”
The Scott Award, the first science award in America established to honor Benjamin Franklin’s scientific legacy, recognizes Rus alongside Dr. Takeo Kanade from Carnegie Mellon University and Dr. Vijay Kumar from the University of Pennsylvania. The award acknowledges how Dr. Rus’ robotics research has fundamentally changed our understanding of the field, expanding the concept of what a robot can be, focusing on developing machine intelligence that makes sense of the physical world through explainable algorithms. Previous Scott award recipients include some of the greatest innovators and pioneers in science and technology, including Thomas Edison, Nikola Tesla, the Wright brothers, Marie Curie, Guglielmo Marconi, and twenty Nobel Prize winners.
The IEEE Edison Medal recognizes how Dr. Rus has helped redefine traditional robotic systems by equipping them with machine intelligence that makes sense of the physical world through explainable algorithms. Her research aims to develop the science and engineering of autonomy, focusing on groups of robots interacting with each other and with people to support humans with cognitive and physical tasks.
Dr. Rus is the Andrew and Erna Viterbi professor of electrical engineering and computer science (EECS), with nearly 30 years of experience in leading research and innovation in AI, data science, machine learning, and robotics. Since 2003, she has been an EECS professor at MIT, serving as Deputy Dean of Research at Schwarzman College of Computing from 2019 to 2022. Rus also serves as a non-executive board member for Symbotic Inc. (Nasdaq: SYM), a U.S. expert for Global Partnerships in AI, a senior visiting fellow at MITRE Corporation, and is on the board of trustees of Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI) and the board of directors for Mass Robotics. Dr. Rus is a MacArthur Fellow, a fellow of ACM, IEEE, AAAI, and AAAS, a member of the National Academy of Engineering, and the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. Her awards include the Engelberger Award for robotics, the IEEE RAS Pioneer award, the IEEE Robotics and Automation Society Technical award, the Mass TLC Innovation Catalyst Award, and the IJCAI John McCarthy Award. She earned her Ph.D. in computer science from Cornell University.
About SymphonyAI
SymphonyAI is a leading enterprise AI SaaS company for digital transformation across the most critical and resilient growth verticals, including retail, consumer packaged goods, finance, manufacturing, media, and IT/enterprise service management. SymphonyAI verticals have many leading enterprises as clients. Since its founding in 2017, SymphonyAI has grown rapidly to 3,000 talented leaders, data scientists, and other professionals. SymphonyAI, 2024 Microsoft Partner of the Year for Business Transformation – AI Innovation, is a SAIGroup company, backed by a $1 billion commitment from successful entrepreneur and philanthropist Dr. Romesh Wadhwani. Learn more at ww.symphonyai.com.
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