COLLEGE PARK, Md. -- For only the second time in its 19-year history the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction is honoring one of the field's founding fathers with a special edition. This issue (Volume 23, Issue 3), celebrates the 60th birthday of Ben Shneiderman, a University of Maryland professor of computer science and founder of the University of Maryland's Human-Computer Interaction Laboratory (HCIL).

In this issue, fellow researchers and former students recognize and pay tribute to Shneiderman and his abundant and fundamental contributions to a field that makes "digital life" easier for millions of people, many of whom may not even know the field exists.

An editor, researcher and author of more than of 13 books and 140 journal articles, Shneiderman has introduced many innovative programs and methods that have benefited everyone from computer science professionals to the everyday computer user. In 2001, his seminal work also was recognized by the Association for Computing Machinery with a Computer Human Interaction Lifetime Achievement Award given for Shneiderman's _"cumulative contributions to the field; influence on the work of others, and development of new research directions."_

"By bringing scientific methods to the study of human use of computers, Ben Shneiderman has played a key role in developing a new academic discipline that promotes more useable information and computing technologies,_" said co-editors Catherine Plaisant and Chris North in their introduction to the special issue of the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction. "Ben has shaped technology evolution through his more than 300 + technical publications as well as inspirational keynotes, the leading text book, informative tutorials, satellite TV broadcasts, and research seminars."

They note that the articles in this special issue are not simply dedicated to furthering the field of Human-Computer Interaction but are directly related to projects and technologies that Shneiderman pioneered throughout his career. Topics addressed in the issue include:

• Interactive Visualization Techniques and their current uses

• Digital Photo Management

• Recent Progresses in Effective Information Searches

• Social Issues and Concerns in Human-Computer Interaction
  
  

"It's greatly satisfying to see the emergence of HCI as a major interdisciplinary topic over the past 25 years," says Shneiderman. "The remarkable tools that users have enable them to do work, have fun, and make discoveries, but of course there is much work to be done in making these tools universally usable. The best is yet to come."

For additional information about the International Journal of Human-Computer Interaction and to access this special issue free for a limited time, please visit http://www.tandf.co.uk/10447318.

Maryland's Human Computer Interaction Laboratory