Mary Beth Rosson

Mary Beth Rosson is a distinguished researcher and educator in Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). She served as a professor and associate dean at Pennsylvania State University's College of Information Sciences and Technology and is now retired. Her research focuses on scenario-based design, computer-supported collaborative learning, community informatics, and online privacy. She has co-authored numerous influential works and publications with John Carroll. Her career began at IBM T.J. Watson Research Center, making her one of the early pioneers in the field of HCI. At Penn State, she not only achieved major academic research milestones but also made outstanding contributions to the development of the college, its curricula, and talent cultivation in leadership roles.

• 2021-2022·Pennsylvania State University College of Information Sciences and Technology·Director of Graduate Programs
  • Managed and oversaw graduate programs in the college.
• 2015-2019·Pennsylvania State University College of Information Sciences and Technology·Associate Dean for Undergraduate and Graduate Affairs
  • Supervised the creation of undergraduate programs such as Human-Computer Interaction, Social and Organizational Informatics, Cybersecurity, and Data Science.
• 2014-2015·Pennsylvania State University College of Information Sciences and Technology·Interim Dean
  • Led the college during a transitional period.
• 2012-2014·Pennsylvania State University College of Information Sciences and Technology·Associate Dean for Undergraduate Affairs
  • Directed and oversaw undergraduate educational programs.
• 2003-2012·Pennsylvania State University College of Information Sciences and Technology·Professor
  • Co-founded the Computer-Supported Collaboration and Learning Lab and expanded Human-Computer Interaction courses.
• 1993-2003·Virginia Tech·Professor of Computer Science
  • Conducted HCI research as a professor in the Computer Science department.
• 1982-1993·IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center·Researcher
  • Began her research career at one of the founding institutions of the HCI field and started collaborating with John Carroll.

• 1982·The University of Texas at Austin·Ph.D. in Experimental Psychology
  • Specialized in cognitive psychology, designing experiments, and developing mathematical models and computer simulations.
• 1977·Trinity University·Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology
  • Earned a bachelor’s degree in psychology.