Staff | Board of Directors | Advisory Board | Alumni
LEADERSHIP & STAFF
Managing Director
Dr. Kristinn R. Thórisson has been researching AI in academia and industry for over three decades. His basic research centers on general machine intelligence, advanced cognitive systems and agent-based modeling and simulation. At MIT he pioneered new ideas in the area of communicative, multimodal intelligent agents. He created a cognitive architecture for Honda Motor Corporation’s humanoid robot ASIMO. He is the leader of research on the AERA cognitive architecture – the world’s first system that can learn complex skills by observation in circumstances that are largely unspecified. Dr. Thórisson has consulted for NASA and British Telecom and taught MSc and PhD courses in AI at Columbia University, KTH and Reykjavik University. His NY startup Radar Networks was selected as one of US’s Top 10 Most Interesting Startups by Reuter’s Venture Capital in 2003 and received investment from Microsoft co-founder Paul Allen in 2008. Dr. Thórisson is co-founder of CADIA, Iceland’s first AI lab and has authored numerous scientific papers. He is a Professor at Reykjavik University and sits on the editorial board of the Journal of Artificial General Intelligence, the LNCS Transactions on Computational Collective Intelligence, and is Editor-in-Chief of AI Perspectives & Advances, a Springer Nature journal. He is a two-time recipient of the Kurzweil Award for his work on general machine intelligence.
Senior Researcher
Goncalo De Carvalho received his M.Sc. degree in artificial intelligence from the University of Groningen, the Netherlands. Before joining IIIM he did AI research at the Cardiology Department at UMCG, Pennie Solutions in Groningen, and worked at the VSNU University Think Tank. At IIIM he is a team leader, software developer and product owner.
A.I. Developer
Arash Sheikhlar has a Ph.D. from Reykjavik University in computer science. Before coming to RU he received Master’s and Bachelor’s degrees in Control Theory and Artificial Intelligence from Qazvin Azad University (QIAU). At the Mechatronics Research Lab (MRL) he designed and implemented robotic systems based on reinforcement learning and fuzzy logic. At IIIM he is responsible for developing advanced prototypes, integrating bleeding-edge technology into new projects, writing grant proposals and managing research grants.
Researcher
Marta A. Torrent has a B.Sc. in artificial intelligence from the University of Groningen. She has also studied music theory, production and sound programming at the School of Audio Engineering in Amsterdam, where she was awarded certificates in Music Business and Advanced Electronic Music Production.
Senior Research Scientist
Jeff Thompson studied computer science and electrical engineering at MIT, with a focus on microrobotics and automation. Before joining IIIM he worked at the Biomimetic Millisystems Lab at the University of California, Berkeley, and as an independent consultant and contractor for numerous software development and network design projects. Jeff has extensive research experience in diverse industry fields such as cryptography, micromachine manufacturing, and software architecture. At IIIM he is responsible for next-generation AI technologies, including causal reasoning, self-programming and self-healing systems.
Software Engineer
Sander Kaatee did his studies in artificial intelligence in the Netherlands. Mr. Kaatee has had a career as an inventor and entrepreneur; in addition to software development he has extensive experience in project management, coordination and leadership.
Senior Research Scientist
Dr. Jacky Mallett graduated from MIT in 2005. She has over 2 decades of industry experience, designing, building and troubleshooting distributed systems and networks, with extensive experience in real-time critical systems, cybersecurity, high performance computing, signal processing, and wide area networking.
Programmer & System Administrator
Ágúst Hlynur Hólmgeirsson received his B.Sc. degree in computer science from Reykjavik University in 2007 and was the System Administrator for CADIA from its founding. He was also a founding member of the Icelandic Society for Intelligence Research.
Affiliate Researcher
Dr. Pei Wang is an Associate Professor at Temple University. He received his Ph.D. in Computer Science and Cognitive Science from Indiana University, and his M.S. and B.S. in Computer Science, both from Peking University, China. Dr. Wang’s NARS (Non-Axiomatic Reasoning System) is one of the world’s best proposals for how to create an autonomous general-purpose learning system. He has authored several books on AI and is the co-creator of the International Conference on Artificial General Intelligence and the Editor-in-Chief of the Journal of Artificial General Intelligence.
Staff | Advisory Board | Alumni
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Chairman of the Board
Hlynur Halldórsson, HRL, graduated from the Law School of the University of Iceland in 1994. In year 1999 he received L.LM. degree from Queen Mary & Westfield College at University of London in Computer and Communications Law. He worked as an attorney for Iceland’s largest shipping company, Eimskip for several years before he became an associate and later a partner at LM Logmenn. Halldórsson has been a partner of Landslog since 2010. His areas of expertise are technology law, copyright law, competition law, maritime law and banking law.
Board Member
Dr. Hannes H. Vilhjálmsson is Professor at the Department of Computer Science, Reykjavik University and member of the Center for Analysis and Design of Intelligent Agents, RU’s AI lab. Dr. Vilhjálmsson is a former Research Scientist at the Center for Advanced Research on Technology for Education (CARTE) at USC’s Information Sciences Institute (ISI) and co-founder, board-member and technical advisor of Alelo Inc. His research focus is intelligent avatars and interactive virtual environments with emphasis on social interaction and collaboration.
Board Member
Dr. Sigríður Ólafsdóttir is Director Regulatory Surveilance at Alvotech, Iceland, and Chairman of the board of Icelandic Infrastructure Fund. Dr. Ólafsdóttir holds a Ph.D. in Biochemistry with expertise in biotechnology, drug development, research and leadership. She has professional experience as a CEO and research group leader in drug development companies and as an independent consultant. Dr. Ólafsdóttir’s has served on the Board of Nordic Innovation, the Council of the University of Iceland, Board of the Icelandic Technology Development Fund, and board memberships of various start-up biotech companies.
Board Member
Þórunn Sigfúsdóttir has over 20 years of experience in the IT industry in the area of computer science and software development. She has worked closely with many startup businesses in their sprouting phase, from product design to prototype to product launch as Director of Software Development at Daedalus Technology Group, based in New York, bridging an R&D team with venture capital stakeholders. Þórunn is currently Director of Workforce Services at Trackwell Software overseeing the product strategy and business development of MRM solutions.
Board Member
Dr. Kristinn R. Thórisson
See BIO at top of page.
Staff | Board of Directors | Alumni
ADVISORY BOARD
Dr. John B. Vander Sande, is the Cecil and Ida Green Distinguished Professor, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, emeritus at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), and co-founder of American Superconductor Corporation (AMSC). Dr. Vander Sande was Associate Dean and Acting Dean of Engineering at MIT from 1992 to 1999 and was founding Executive Director of the Cambridge (England)-MIT Institute from 1999 to 2003. He served the position of Acting Provost for two years Reykjavik University (2009-2010).
Dr. Jörg Siekmann, is Co-Founder & of the German Research Center for Artificial Intelligence (DFKI) and served as its Scientific Director. Dr. Siekmann was a founding Chairman of the German AI Society, a Fellow of the German Computer Science Society (GI), Chairman of the Collaborative Research Centre on Resource-Bounded Cognitive Processes, among others.
Dr. Stacy Marsella is Professor and Associate Dean of Research at Northeastern University, College of Computer and Information Science, United States. Before joining NU he was a Research Associate Professor of Computer Science at the University of Southern California, Associate Director for Social Simulation Research at the Institute of Creative Technologies, and Co-Director of the USC Computational Emotion Group. He leads projects on virtual humans, social simulation, interactive drama, emotions and theory of mind.
Dr. Rosalind Picard, Professor, Massachusetts Institute of Technology Media Laboratory. She has served on dozens of international science committees and recently chaired the National Science Foundations Committee of Visitors for the Information and Intelligent Systems Division. She has also worked as a consultant for companies such as Apple, AT&T, BT, HP, iRobot, and Motorola.
Dr. Yngvi Björnsson, is Professor at the Department of Computer Science at Center for Analysis and Design of Intelligent Agents, Reykjavik University and was its Dean for several years. Dr. Björnsson is the co-founder and current Director of the Center for Analysis and Design of Intelligent Agents, Reykjavik University’s AI lab. Before joining RU he was a Research Associate with the GAMES research group at University of Alberta, Canada and he is the world’s only three-time winner of the international General Game Playing Competition. His research focus is AI, in particular informed search methods, learning of search-control and machine learning.
Dr. Eythor Ivar Jonsson, DBA, was CEO of Klak, Reykjavik, Iceland, where he directed one of he primary incubation outfits in Iceland. Before joining Klak he held an Associate Professor position at Copenhagen Business School. He is Chairman of the Board of over a dozen Danish companies.
Dr. Gísli Hjálmtýsson is the Managing Partner of the venture capital company Thule Investments and is a former IIIM Board Member. Dr. Hjálmtýsson has a Ph.D. in computer science from University of California, Santa Barbara and has been involved in numerous ventures in Iceland and elsewhere. He has served as Dean of Computer Science at Reykjavik University (2001-2007) and was a researcher at AT&T Labs – Research in the US (1995-2000).
Dr. Finnur Oddsson, CEO of Nýherji, Reykjavik, Iceland. Former Managing Director of Iceland Chamber of Commerce. Dr. Oddsson works with many of Iceland’s largest organizations, public and private, in various capacities. Prior to his current post he was Director of MBA Programs at Reykjavik University, and Director of Executive Education and Assistant Professors.
Dr. Ipke Wachsmuth, was Director of the Center for Interdisciplinary Research (ZiF) in Bielefeld, Germany and Chair of Artificial Intelligence, University of Bielefeld. Dr. Wachsmuth has a strong multidisciplinary publications in several fields, including cognitive learning research, intelligent tutoring systems, virtual reality and multimodal interaction. He is former president of the German Cognitive Science Society and served as co-director of the Collaborative Research Center “Alignment in Communication”.
Staff | Board of Directors | Advisory Board
ALUMNI
John B. Vander Sande, Ph.D., Advisory Board Member. In memoriam. Dr. Vander Sande was Cecil and Ida Green Distinguished Professor at the Department of Materials Science and Engineering (MIT), Professor Emeritus (MIT), co-founder of American Superconductor Corporation (AMSC), Associate Dean and Acting Dean of Engineering (MIT, 1992-1999), Founding Executive Director of the Cambridge (England)-MIT Institute (1999-2003), and Acting Provost (Reykjavik U., 2009-2010)
Sofia Basílio, M.Sc., Researcher
Maxime Houssin, M.Sc., Researcher
Hjörleifur Rörbeck, M.Sc., Senior Researcher / Senior Programmer
Brendan Ruff, PhD, Affiliate Researcher
Harris Dindo, PhD, Affiliate Researcher
Ragnhildur Sigurðardóttir, Project Manager
Lena Hilger, Research Intern
Davíð Örn Jóhannesson, M.Sc., Research Scientist, Programmer
Pierre Zanchetta, M.Sc., Research Scientist, Programmer
Jessica Chambers, M.Sc., Research Intern
Throstur Thorarensen, M.Sc., Researcher
Guðný R. Jónsdóttir, M.Sc., Researcher Scientist, Principal Programmer
Mary Felkin, Ph.D., Affiliate Researcher
J. Deon Garrett, Ph.D., Senior Research Scientist
Juliane Hanel, Research Intern
Hrafn Th. Thórisson, Research Specialist
Anton Laukemper, Research Intern
Magnús Pálsson, Research Intern
Ildefons Magrans de Abril, Ph.D., Research Scientist
Laura Nesaule, Administrative Assistant
Eric Nivel, Dipl. Eng., Director of Industry Liaisons
Erik Parr, Specialist
Ólafur Guðmundsson, M.Sc., Affiliate Researcher
Claudio Pedica, M.Sc., Research Scientist
Hamid Pourvatan, M.Sc., Research Assistant