Computer scientist Juan Gilbert to present 14th Patrusky Lecture

Distinguished and award-winning computer scientist Juan Gilbert will discuss hack-proof voting and other innovative ways to apply computer science to solve social problems in the 14th annual Patrusky Lecture. Gilbert’s keynote address will be presented by the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing (CASW) on September 26, 2026, as part of ScienceWriters2026, hosted by Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon. The full conference program will be announced July 15. 

Just a few weeks before the 2026 midterms, Gilbert’s talk, “Computing for Social Good — Hack-Proof Voting and More Innovative Solutions for Real-World Problems,” will describe how his lab at the University of Florida integrates technology with people, information, culture and policy to address important social challenges, including voter verification, minimizing voter lines and the role of AI in elections. 

Gilbert’s work has already changed the way Americans vote: Elements of the lab’s Prime III, a secure and accessible technology, have been incorporated into many modern ballot systems. His team is currently working on a transparent and tamper-proof voting system that would eliminate the potential for vote-flipping — and that, to date, no one has been able to hack. The team is also developing televoting technology for overseas citizens and military personnel, allowing far-flung voters to securely cast and check their paper ballot back home.

Beyond elections, Gilbert’s work includes socially beneficial technologies such as the Virtual Traffic Stop app, to de-escalate tension and conflicts during traffic stops, and the patented Applications Quest technology that can minimize bias in machine learning and help administrators and admissions officials manage applicants using AI.

“I’m delighted that Professor Gilbert has accepted our invitation to be this year’s Patrusky lecturer,” said Richard Harris,  president of CASW’s Board of Directors. “With so much disquieting news about AI’s potential impact on electioneering, warfare, employment and even human relationships, it’s good to be reminded that people are also working to develop computer technology to serve the needs of citizens.”

Gilbert is the Andrew Banks Family Preeminence Endowed Professor at the University of Florida in Gainesville. His efforts have earned him both the National Medal of Technology and Innovation, presented by President Joe Biden, and the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics and Engineering Mentoring from President Barack Obama. 

Additionally, Gilbert has been featured as a “Black tech game changer” by NPR, an “idea maker” by The Chronicle of Higher Education, one of the top 100 Black influencers and achievers by The Root, and a “master of innovation” by Black Enterprise magazine, among many other honors.

Gilbert is a Fellow of the Association of Computing Machinery, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the National Academy of Inventors. He is a former member of the National Science Board and a current member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

Prior to joining the University of Florida in 2014, Gilbert was a Presidential Endowed Professor, IDEaS Professor and chair of human-centered computing at Clemson University. Before that, he was the T-SYS Distinguished Professor at Auburn University. He earned his doctorate at the University of Cincinnati and bachelor’s degree at Miami University.

The Patrusky Lectures were launched by CASW in 2013 to honor Ben Patrusky, executive director of CASW for 25 years and director of the New Horizons in Science briefings for 30 years.  The New Horizons in Science briefings are held during the annual ScienceWriters conference, which is jointly organized by CASW and the National Association of Science Writers.