Kenneth M. Ford
Encyclopedia
Ken Ford is founder and director of the Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition
(IHMC).
Kenneth Ford is Founder
and CEO of the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition (IHMC) — a not-for-profit research institute
located in Pensacola, Florida
. IHMC has grown into one of the nation’s premier research
organizations with world-class scientists and engineers investigating a broad range of topics related to building technological systems aimed at amplifying and extending human
cognitive and perceptual capacities. Richard Florida
has described IHMC as “a new model for interdisciplinary research institutes that strive to be both entrepreneurial and academic, firmly grounded and inspiringly ambitious.” IHMC headquarters
are in Pensacola and a branch research facility will soon open in Ocala, Florida
.
Dr. Ford is the author or coauthor of hundreds of scientific papers and six books. Ford's research interests include: artificial intelligence
, cognitive science
, human-centered computing
, and entrepreneurship
in government and academia. He received a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Tulane University
. He is Emeritus Editor-in-Chief of AAAI/MIT Press and has been involved in the editing of several journals. Dr. Ford is a Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence
(AAAI), a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
, a member of the Association for Computing Machinery
(ACM), a member of the IEEE Computer Society
, and a member of the National Association of Scholars
. Dr. Ford has received many awards and honors including the Honoris Causas from the University of Bordeaux
in 2005 and the 2008 Robert S. Englemore Memorial Award for his work in artificial intelligence
(AI).
In January 1997, Dr. Ford was asked by NASA
to develop and direct its new Center of Excellence in Information Technology at the Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley
. He served as Associate Center Director and Director of NASA
’s Center of Excellence in Information Technology. In July 1999, Dr. Ford was awarded the NASA
Outstanding Leadership Medal. That same year, Dr. Ford returned to private life and to the IHMC.
In October 2002, President George W. Bush
nominated Dr. Ford to serve on the National Science Board
and the United States Senate
confirmed his nomination in March 2003. The National Science Board
(NSB) is the governing board of the National Science Foundation
(NSF) and plays an important role in advising the President and Congress on science policy issues.
In 2004, Ford was the recipient of the Pensacola
Area Chamber of Commerce Business Leader of the Year Award for the growth of IHMC. Also, in 2004 Florida Trend Magazine named Dr. Ford one of Florida’s 4 most influential citizens working in academia. In 2005, Dr. Ford was appointed and sworn in as a member of the Air Force Science Advisory Board.
In 2007, he became a member of the NASA Advisory Council and on October 16, 2008, Dr. Ford was named as Chairman of the NASA Advisory Council.
Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition
The Florida Institute for Human & Machine Cognition is a not-for-profit research institute headquartered in Pensacola, Florida with scientists and engineers investigating topics related to understanding cognition in both humans and machines....
(IHMC).
Kenneth Ford is Founder
Entrepreneur
An entrepreneur is an owner or manager of a business enterprise who makes money through risk and initiative.The term was originally a loanword from French and was first defined by the Irish-French economist Richard Cantillon. Entrepreneur in English is a term applied to a person who is willing to...
and CEO of the Institute for Human & Machine Cognition (IHMC) — a not-for-profit research institute
Research institute
A research institute is an establishment endowed for doing research. Research institutes may specialize in basic research or may be oriented to applied research...
located in Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola, Florida
Pensacola is the westernmost city in the Florida Panhandle and the county seat of Escambia County, Florida, United States of America. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 56,255 and as of 2009, the estimated population was 53,752...
. IHMC has grown into one of the nation’s premier research
Research
Research can be defined as the scientific search for knowledge, or as any systematic investigation, to establish novel facts, solve new or existing problems, prove new ideas, or develop new theories, usually using a scientific method...
organizations with world-class scientists and engineers investigating a broad range of topics related to building technological systems aimed at amplifying and extending human
Human
Humans are the only living species in the Homo genus...
cognitive and perceptual capacities. Richard Florida
Richard Florida
Richard Florida is an American urban studies theorist.Richard Florida's focus is on social and economic theory. He is currently a professor and head of the Martin Prosperity Institute at the Rotman School of Management, at the University of Toronto. He also heads a private consulting firm, the...
has described IHMC as “a new model for interdisciplinary research institutes that strive to be both entrepreneurial and academic, firmly grounded and inspiringly ambitious.” IHMC headquarters
Headquarters
Headquarters denotes the location where most, if not all, of the important functions of an organization are coordinated. In the United States, the corporate headquarters represents the entity at the center or the top of a corporation taking full responsibility managing all business activities...
are in Pensacola and a branch research facility will soon open in Ocala, Florida
Ocala, Florida
Ocala is a city in Marion County, Florida. As of 2007, the population recorded by the U.S. Census Bureau was 53,491. It is the county seat of Marion County, and the principal city of the Ocala, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had an estimated 2007 population of 324,857.-History:Ocala...
.
Dr. Ford is the author or coauthor of hundreds of scientific papers and six books. Ford's research interests include: artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
, cognitive science
Cognitive science
Cognitive science is the interdisciplinary scientific study of mind and its processes. It examines what cognition is, what it does and how it works. It includes research on how information is processed , represented, and transformed in behaviour, nervous system or machine...
, human-centered computing
Human-centered computing
Human-centered computing is an emerging, interdisciplinary academic field broadly concerned with computing and computational artifacts as they relate to the human condition...
, and entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship
Entrepreneurship is the act of being an entrepreneur, which can be defined as "one who undertakes innovations, finance and business acumen in an effort to transform innovations into economic goods". This may result in new organizations or may be part of revitalizing mature organizations in response...
in government and academia. He received a Ph.D. in Computer Science from Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
. He is Emeritus Editor-in-Chief of AAAI/MIT Press and has been involved in the editing of several journals. Dr. Ford is a Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence
Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence
The Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence or AAAI is an international, nonprofit, scientific society devoted to advancing the scientific understanding of the mechanisms underlying thought and intelligent behavior and their embodiment in machines...
(AAAI), a member of the American Association for the Advancement of Science
American Association for the Advancement of Science
The American Association for the Advancement of Science is an international non-profit organization with the stated goals of promoting cooperation among scientists, defending scientific freedom, encouraging scientific responsibility, and supporting scientific education and science outreach for the...
, a member of the Association for Computing Machinery
Association for Computing Machinery
The Association for Computing Machinery is a learned society for computing. It was founded in 1947 as the world's first scientific and educational computing society. Its membership is more than 92,000 as of 2009...
(ACM), a member of the IEEE Computer Society
IEEE Computer Society
The IEEE Computer Society is a professional society of IEEE. Its purpose and scope is “to advance the theory, practice, and application of computer and information processing science and technology” and the “professional standing of its members.” The CS is the largest of 38 technical societies...
, and a member of the National Association of Scholars
National Association of Scholars
The National Association of Scholars is a non-profit organization in the United States that opposes multiculturalism and affirmative action and seeks to counter what it considers a "liberal bias" in academia...
. Dr. Ford has received many awards and honors including the Honoris Causas from the University of Bordeaux
University of Bordeaux
University of Bordeaux is an association of higher education institutions in and around Bordeaux, France. Its current incarnation was established 21 March 2007. The group is the largest system of higher education schools in southwestern France. It is part of the Academy of Bordeaux.There are seven...
in 2005 and the 2008 Robert S. Englemore Memorial Award for his work in artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence
Artificial intelligence is the intelligence of machines and the branch of computer science that aims to create it. AI textbooks define the field as "the study and design of intelligent agents" where an intelligent agent is a system that perceives its environment and takes actions that maximize its...
(AI).
In January 1997, Dr. Ford was asked by NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
to develop and direct its new Center of Excellence in Information Technology at the Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley
Silicon Valley is a term which refers to the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California in the United States. The region is home to many of the world's largest technology corporations...
. He served as Associate Center Director and Director of NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
’s Center of Excellence in Information Technology. In July 1999, Dr. Ford was awarded the NASA
NASA
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration is the agency of the United States government that is responsible for the nation's civilian space program and for aeronautics and aerospace research...
Outstanding Leadership Medal. That same year, Dr. Ford returned to private life and to the IHMC.
In October 2002, President George W. Bush
George W. Bush
George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....
nominated Dr. Ford to serve on the National Science Board
National Science Board
The National Science Board of the United States is composed of 25 members appointed by the President and confirmed by the United States Senate, representing the broad U.S. science and engineering community. The Board establishes the policies of the National Science Foundation within the framework...
and the United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
confirmed his nomination in March 2003. The National Science Board
National Science Board
The National Science Board of the United States is composed of 25 members appointed by the President and confirmed by the United States Senate, representing the broad U.S. science and engineering community. The Board establishes the policies of the National Science Foundation within the framework...
(NSB) is the governing board of the National Science Foundation
National Science Foundation
The National Science Foundation is a United States government agency that supports fundamental research and education in all the non-medical fields of science and engineering. Its medical counterpart is the National Institutes of Health...
(NSF) and plays an important role in advising the President and Congress on science policy issues.
In 2004, Ford was the recipient of the Pensacola
Pensacola
Pensacola is a city in the western part of the U.S. state of Florida.Pensacola may also refer to:* Pensacola people, a group of Native Americans* A number of places in the Florida:** Pensacola Bay** Pensacola Regional Airport...
Area Chamber of Commerce Business Leader of the Year Award for the growth of IHMC. Also, in 2004 Florida Trend Magazine named Dr. Ford one of Florida’s 4 most influential citizens working in academia. In 2005, Dr. Ford was appointed and sworn in as a member of the Air Force Science Advisory Board.
In 2007, he became a member of the NASA Advisory Council and on October 16, 2008, Dr. Ford was named as Chairman of the NASA Advisory Council.