Professor Lars Kotthoff has been appointed as the Johann and Gaynor Rupert Chair in Artificial Intelligence (AI) at the University of St Andrews.
The role, based in the School of Computer Science in St Andrews, is a crucial appointment to explore and advance the critical role of AI, both now and in the future.
Professor Kotthoff completed his PhD at St Andrews and returns to his alma mater from the University of Wyoming where he was Templeton Chair in Computer Science and Associate Professor in the Electrical Engineering Department.
This position was made possible by a donation from regular participants of the Dunhill Links Championship who collectively donated £3m for an endowed chair in Johann and Gaynor Rupert’s name, as a thank you for the years of participation in the Dunhill Links Championship, and also in honour of what Mr Rupert has done for golf and St Andrews since the original Alfred Dunhill Cup began in 1985.
This new academic Chair is part of the University’s Making Waves Campaign, a £300 million fundraising initiative to foster world-leading research, attract and retain talented academics and students. It also aims to address global challenges by developing new infrastructure and expanding academic and entrepreneurial initiatives.
Professor Kotthoff’s research focuses on developing approaches in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning that empowers domain scientists and practitioners to apply state-of-the-art methods to solve real-world problems. Part of this is making cutting-edge research available to, and usable by, non-experts. His contributions span foundational AI, applications of AI in other areas such as materials science, and the development and support of AI tools that are widely used across a broad range of areas.
Of his appointment as The Johann and Gaynor Rupert Chair in Artificial Intelligence at the University of St Andrews, Professor Kotthoff said: “I very much look forward to re-joining St Andrews after a 13-year absence. AI is becoming increasingly important in all areas of science, and I am excited to explore opportunities with my colleagues in Computer Science and beyond. St Andrews’ world-class staff and collaborative environment make it an ideal location for advancing AI and its application in other areas.”
