Berger-Wolf named AAAI Fellow

Tanya Berger-Wolf has been elected a Fellow of the Association for the Advancement of Artificial Intelligence, recognizing significant and sustained contributions to AI. 

Berger-Wolf directs the AI and Biodiversity Change Global Center and the National Science Foundation–funded Imageomics Institute at The Ohio State University’s Translational Data Analytics Institute.

Her work bridges computer vision, machine learning and ecology, advancing methods and data infrastructures that help scientists extract biological knowledge from images and other sensing modalities. 

Berger-Wolf’s teams have developed new benchmarks, datasets and models to study species identification, behavior, population dynamics and biodiversity change, while promoting ethical, FAIR-aligned practices for data sharing and attribution.

Election to the AAAI Fellows program honors researchers whose advances have had broad impact across the field. The recognition underscores ABC’s mission to bring AI to conservation practice—from foundational models and explainable AI to edge systems and decision support.

Berger-Wolf said current priorities include expanding interdisciplinary training, scaling AI-ready biodiversity data, and strengthening collaborations with museums, NGOs and governments. The Fellows honor highlights how AI methods developed for natural systems can inform both core research and real-world conservation outcomes, and it reflects the community effort behind ABC’s translational approach.