The American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS) has selected Stony Brook University Professor Heather Lynch as one of 12 researchers in the area of artificial intelligence (AI) to be a 2020-2021 AAAS Alan I. Leshner Leadership Institute Public Engagement Fellow. Lynch, Institute for Advanced Computational Science Endowed Chair for Ecology & Evolution, was chosen for having demonstrated leadership and excellence in her research career and for her interest in promoting meaningful dialogue between science and society. AI focuses on developing and studying machines and algorithms that augment or mimic human abilities, learn from and adjust to new situations, and perform tasks. As a quantitative ecologist whose research focuses on the population dynamics of Antarctic wildlife, Lynch uses AI to study penguins, among other species. "Communicating with the public about penguins is pretty easy, but explaining AI? That's quite a bit harder," said Lynch.

The AAAS Leshner Leadership Institute is an initiative of the AAAS Center for Public Engagement with Science and Technology, started in 2015 in honor of CEO Emeritus Alan I. Leshner, who founded the Center. Each year, a cohort of 15 AAAS Leshner Fellows from an area of research at the nexus of science and society will convene for a week of intensive public engagement and science communication training and public engagement plan development. AAAS Leshner Fellows will return to their institutions with a renewed commitment to develop and implement public engagement activities, train and mentor other scientists in their communities, and promote public engagement within their institutions. Artificial Intelligence is the topic for the 2020-2021 cohort of AAAS Leshner Fellows. Artificial intelligence (AI) is the attempt to have machines augment or mimic human abilities, learning from and adjusting to new situations and performing tasks such as responding to search requests, managing manufacturing processes, and assisting with the diagnosis and treatment of medical conditions.