Jessica Hammer, assistant professor in the Human-Computer Interaction Institute (HCII) and the Entertainment Technology Center, and Chris Harrison, assistant professor in HCII, were among 30 exceptional young scientists under the age of 40 recognized at the World Economic Forum’s Annual Meeting of the New Champions, Sept. 10–12, in Tianjin, China.

Hammer and Harrison were among a healthy contingent of Carnegie Mellon faculty members attending this year’s “Summer Davos,” including Manuela Veloso, professor of computer science, and Justine Cassell, professor of HCII as well as associate vice provost of technology strategy and impact.

This year’s Young Scientists, who also include Associate Professor of Engineering and Public Policy Inês Azevedo, were selected for their contributions to advancing the frontiers of science, engineering or technology in areas of high societal impact, the WEF said. At the Tianjin meeting, they would engage with business and political leaders to contribute their scientific perspective and deliver the most up-to-date trends.

Hammer, who joined the faculty in January, studies the psychology of games, focusing on the way specific game design decisions affect how players think and feel, and develops games that enhance education or otherwise make lives better. She is one of the investigators for a multiyear, Google-sponsored research effort to unlock the educational potential of massive open online courses, or MOOCs. She was featured at the WEF meeting in a session, “Better, Faster, Smarter,” that addressed how smarter computers can improve education and learning.

Harrison, who earned his Ph.D. from the HCII before joining its faculty early this year, heads the Future Interfaces Group, which broadly investigates novel sensing technologies and interaction techniques that foster powerful and natural interactions between humans and computers. His inventive work on interfaces such as Skinput, which enables people to control computers by tapping their skin, and WorldKit, which can turn almost any surface into a touchscreen, has received worldwide coverage by the news media. He was featured at the WEF meeting in a session titled “Tomorrow’s Consumer Tech.”

Veloso was one of four CMU professors who shared perspectives during a session on “Data Science in Action,” moderated by CMU President Subra Suresh. She also was featured on a panel titled "Discover! Robot Revolution," moderated by NPR's science correspondent Joe Palca.

Cassell further highlighted CMU's leadership through her involvement in three talks in Tianjin discussing technology, computing and gender. Cassell heads the WEF's Global Agenda Council on Robotics and Smart Devices. Cassell participated in a debate, Chrome Collar Jobs, that examined whether smart machines will liberate the workforce or exacerbate unemployment. A video of the panel discussion, which includes a question from Veloso, is available online.