# Tim Finin

> American computer scientist

**Wikidata**: [Q7803487](https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q7803487)  
**Wikipedia**: [English](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tim_Finin)  
**Source**: https://4ort.xyz/entity/tim-finin

## Summary
Tim Finin is an American computer scientist and professor known for his contributions to artificial intelligence, natural language processing, and the Semantic Web. He is a Fellow of both the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence (AAAI) and the Association for Computing Machinery (ACM).

## Biography
- Born: August 4, 1949, Decatur
- Nationality: United States
- Education: Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1971); Doctor of Philosophy in Computer Science from University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign (1980)
- Known for: Contributions to knowledge sharing in multiagent systems and the World Wide Web
- Employer(s): University of Maryland, Baltimore County (full professor since 1991); previously Unisys (technical director, 1987–1991), University of Pennsylvania (assistant professor, 1980–1987), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (researcher, 1971–1974)
- Field(s): Artificial intelligence, Semantic Web, natural language processing, knowledge-based systems, social informatics

## Contributions
Tim Finin has made significant contributions to artificial intelligence, particularly in knowledge sharing and the Semantic Web. His doctoral thesis, "The Semantic Interpretation of Compound Nominals" (1980), under advisor David Waltz, laid groundwork in natural language processing. He developed Swoogle, a search engine for the Semantic Web, and contributed to the Knowledge Query and Manipulation Language (KQML). His work on microblogging analysis led to the influential paper "Why we twitter: understanding microblogging usage and communities." Finin has published extensively in AI and related fields, with over 200 publications and an Erdős number of 3. His research has advanced understanding of distributed systems, knowledge-based systems, and social informatics.

## FAQs
### Q: What is Tim Finin known for?
A: Tim Finin is known for his contributions to artificial intelligence, particularly in knowledge sharing in multiagent systems, the Semantic Web, and natural language processing.

### Q: Where does Tim Finin work?
A: Tim Finin is a full professor at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where he has worked since 1991.

### Q: What awards has Tim Finin received?
A: Tim Finin is a Fellow of both AAAI (elected 2013) and ACM (elected 2018) for his contributions to knowledge sharing in distributed systems and the World Wide Web.

## Why They Matter
Tim Finin's work has been foundational in advancing how computers understand and share knowledge across distributed systems. His contributions to the Semantic Web have helped shape how information is structured and retrieved online, making data more accessible and interoperable. Through his research on microblogging and social informatics, he has provided insights into how people use technology to communicate and share information. His development of Swoogle and work on KQML have had lasting impacts on how researchers and developers approach knowledge representation and retrieval. As an educator and mentor, he has influenced generations of computer scientists through his teaching and supervision of doctoral students.

## Notable For
- Fellow of AAAI (2013) and ACM (2018) for contributions to knowledge sharing
- Developer of Swoogle, a Semantic Web search engine
- Author of influential papers on microblogging analysis and usage
- Doctoral advisor to over 15 PhD students in computer science
- Contributor to the Knowledge Query and Manipulation Language (KQML) standard

## Body
### Early Life and Education
Tim Finin was born on August 4, 1949, in Decatur. He completed his early education at Big Foot High School (1963–1966) and Amandina College (1966–1967). He earned his Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from MIT in 1971, followed by a PhD in Computer Science from the University of Illinois Urbana–Champaign in 1980, with a dissertation on "The Semantic Interpretation of Compound Nominals" advised by David Waltz.

### Career
Finin's career spans academia and industry. He worked as a researcher at MIT (1971–1974), then as an assistant professor at the University of Pennsylvania (1980–1987). He joined Unisys as a technical director and researcher (1987–1991) before moving to the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where he has been a full professor since 1991.

### Research Contributions
His research focuses on artificial intelligence, particularly knowledge sharing in multiagent systems, the Semantic Web, natural language processing, and social informatics. He developed Swoogle, a search engine for the Semantic Web, and contributed to KQML. His work on microblogging led to the paper "Why we twitter: understanding microblogging usage and communities." He has published over 200 papers and holds an Erdős number of 3.

### Professional Service
Finin is a member of AAAI (since 1980) and ACM (since 1976), becoming an ACM Fellow in 2018. He maintains an active online presence through his website and Mastodon account (timfinin@sigmoid.social).

### Students and Legacy
As a doctoral advisor, Finin has mentored numerous students who have gone on to careers in academia and industry, including Ramin Ayanzadeh, Li Ding, Justin Martineau, and others. His work continues to influence research in AI, knowledge representation, and social computing.

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## References

1. [Source](https://www.csee.umbc.edu/people/faculty/tim-finin/)
2. [Source](https://redirect.cs.umbc.edu/~finin/)
3. [Source](https://www.csee.umbc.edu/people/faculty)
4. [Source](https://www.csee.umbc.edu/people/faculty/)
5. [ORCID Public Data File 2023](https://pub.orcid.org/v3.0/0000-0002-6593-1792/employment/2244283)
6. [ORCID Public Data File 2023](https://pub.orcid.org/v3.0/0000-0002-6593-1792/employment/2244276)
7. [ORCID Public Data File 2023](https://pub.orcid.org/v3.0/0000-0002-6593-1792/employment/2244270)
8. [Source](https://aaai.org/about-aaai/aaai-awards/the-aaai-fellows-program/elected-aaai-fellows/)
9. [Source](https://awards.acm.org/award_winners/finin_8020786)
10. [Source](https://www.acm.org/media-center/2018/december/fellows-2018)
11. Mathematics Genealogy Project
12. [Source](https://viaf.org/viaf/data/viaf-20230206-links.txt.gz)
13. CiNii Research
14. Virtual International Authority File
15. [Source](https://www.proquest.com/pqdtglobal/docview/303023932/FF23FD3A41E6461DPQ/2)
16. SciGraph
17. National Library of Israel Names and Subjects Authority File
18. [Source](https://api.openalex.org/A5009972149)