Tom Gruber
Encyclopedia
Thomas Robert Gruber (1959) is an American computer scientist
, inventor, and entrepreneur
with a focus on systems for knowledge sharing and collective intelligence. He did foundational work in ontology engineering
and is well-known for his definition of ontologies in the context of Artificial Intelligence
.
and computer science
at the Loyola University New Orleans
, where he received a double major B.S. in 1981 and graduated summa cum laude. He had designed and implemented a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) system for programmed-curriculum courses. It was the first of its kind at the university, and is used routinely by the Psychology department for introductory courses. In 1984 he received a M.S. in Computer and Information Science at the University of Massachusetts
. His Master's research had resulted in the design and implementation of an intelligent communication prosthesis
assistant, a computer system which enables people with severe physical disabilities who cannot otherwise speak to communicate in natural language
presented in displayed, written, or spoken form. Four years later in 1988 at the University of Massachusetts he received a Ph.D. in Computer and Information Science with the dissertation "The Acquisition of Strategic Knowledge". His dissertation research had addressed a critical problem for Artificial Intelligence—knowledge acquisition—with a computer assistant that acquires strategic knowledge from experts.
From 1988 to 1994 Gruber has been a Research Associate at the Knowledge Systems Laboratory of the Computer Science Department at Stanford University
. He has been working on the How Things Work, SHADE, and Knowledge Sharing Technology projects. In 1994 he became Senior Project Leader, Enterprise Integration Technologies and proposed and designed several projects using the Internet to create shared, virtual environments for collaborative learning and work (for ARPA, NASA, NIST). Proposed a business plan for corporate training. In 1995 he founded and became Chief Technology Officer of Intraspect Software, an enterprise software company that pioneered the space of collaborative knowledge management. Intraspect applications help professional people collaborate in large distributed communities, continuously contributing to a collective body of knowledge.
He has been a member of journal editorial boards of the "Knowledge Acquisition", "IEEE Expert" and "Internation Journal of Human-Computer Studies".
Articles a selection:
Computer scientist
A computer scientist is a scientist who has acquired knowledge of computer science, the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and their application in computer systems....
, inventor, and entrepreneur
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...
with a focus on systems for knowledge sharing and collective intelligence. He did foundational work in ontology engineering
Ontology engineering
Ontology engineering in computer science and information science is a new field, which studies the methods and methodologies for building ontologies: formal representations of a set of concepts within a domain and the relationships between those concepts....
and is well-known for his definition of ontologies in the context of 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...
.
Biography
Gruber studied psychologyPsychology
Psychology is the study of the mind and behavior. Its immediate goal is to understand individuals and groups by both establishing general principles and researching specific cases. For many, the ultimate goal of psychology is to benefit society...
and computer science
Computer science
Computer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
at the Loyola University New Orleans
Loyola University New Orleans
Loyola University New Orleans is a private, co-educational and Jesuit university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. Originally established as Loyola College in 1904, the institution was chartered as a university in 1912. It bears the name of the Jesuit patron, Saint Ignatius of Loyola...
, where he received a double major B.S. in 1981 and graduated summa cum laude. He had designed and implemented a computer-assisted instruction (CAI) system for programmed-curriculum courses. It was the first of its kind at the university, and is used routinely by the Psychology department for introductory courses. In 1984 he received a M.S. in Computer and Information Science at the University of Massachusetts
University of Massachusetts
This article relates to the statewide university system. For the flagship campus often referred to as "UMass", see University of Massachusetts Amherst...
. His Master's research had resulted in the design and implementation of an intelligent communication prosthesis
Prosthesis
In medicine, a prosthesis, prosthetic, or prosthetic limb is an artificial device extension that replaces a missing body part. It is part of the field of biomechatronics, the science of using mechanical devices with human muscle, skeleton, and nervous systems to assist or enhance motor control...
assistant, a computer system which enables people with severe physical disabilities who cannot otherwise speak to communicate in natural language
Natural language
In the philosophy of language, a natural language is any language which arises in an unpremeditated fashion as the result of the innate facility for language possessed by the human intellect. A natural language is typically used for communication, and may be spoken, signed, or written...
presented in displayed, written, or spoken form. Four years later in 1988 at the University of Massachusetts he received a Ph.D. in Computer and Information Science with the dissertation "The Acquisition of Strategic Knowledge". His dissertation research had addressed a critical problem for Artificial Intelligence—knowledge acquisition—with a computer assistant that acquires strategic knowledge from experts.
From 1988 to 1994 Gruber has been a Research Associate at the Knowledge Systems Laboratory of the Computer Science Department at Stanford University
Stanford University
The Leland Stanford Junior University, commonly referred to as Stanford University or Stanford, is a private research university on an campus located near Palo Alto, California. It is situated in the northwestern Santa Clara Valley on the San Francisco Peninsula, approximately northwest of San...
. He has been working on the How Things Work, SHADE, and Knowledge Sharing Technology projects. In 1994 he became Senior Project Leader, Enterprise Integration Technologies and proposed and designed several projects using the Internet to create shared, virtual environments for collaborative learning and work (for ARPA, NASA, NIST). Proposed a business plan for corporate training. In 1995 he founded and became Chief Technology Officer of Intraspect Software, an enterprise software company that pioneered the space of collaborative knowledge management. Intraspect applications help professional people collaborate in large distributed communities, continuously contributing to a collective body of knowledge.
He has been a member of journal editorial boards of the "Knowledge Acquisition", "IEEE Expert" and "Internation Journal of Human-Computer Studies".
Work
Gruber's research interests in the 1990s were in the field of developing intelligent networked software to support human collaboration and learning. Areas of specialty include: knowledge acquisition, knowledge representation, computer-supported collaborative work, computer-mediated communication for design, and knowledge sharing technology.Publications
Gruber published several articles and some books. A selection:- 1989. The Acquisition of Strategic Knowledge. Dissertation University of Massachusetts. Academic Press.
Articles a selection:
- 1992. "Toward Principles for the Design of Ontologies Used for Knowledge Sharing". In: International Journal Human-Computer Studies. Vol 43, p. 907-928.
- 1993. "A Translation Approach to Portable Ontology Specifications". In: Knowledge Acquisition, 5(2):199-220, 1993
- 2008, Ontology. Entry in the Encyclopedia of Database Systems, Ling Liu and M. Tamer Özsu (Eds.), Springer-Verlag, to appear in 2008.
External links
- Tom Gruber Recent homepage.
- Tom Gruber Homepage in 1994 at Stanford