Justine Cassell, School of Computer Science associate dean for technology strategy and impact, has been named a corresponding fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE). She is one of 56 distinguished individuals from science, the arts and business elected as fellows this year.

The RSE is an educational charity that operates as Scotland's National Academy, providing independent and expert advice on a wide range of subjects to the government and Parliament, as well as mentoring entrepreneurs, establishing educational programs for young people and engaging the general public through educational events.

Fellows are elected to the RSE each year through a rigorous five-stage nomination process.

The society cited Cassell for her contributions to computer science and to human-computer interaction in particular. Her research has included a focus on ways in which technology can level the playing field for women and other under-represented groups in STEM subjects. Cassell joined Carnegie Mellon in 2010 as director of the Human-Computer Interaction Institute.

Cassell and the other new fellows, including Edward Witten, a leading theoretical physicist at Princeton University, and Sally Beamish, an acclaimed British composer and violinist, will be inducted at a May 16 ceremony.

"It is fantastic to welcome such a range of outstanding individuals to the fellowship," said Jocelyn Bell Burnell, RSE president. "In joining the fellowship, they will strengthen the RSE's capacity to advance excellence across all areas of public life, both in Scotland and further afield."