Dr. Penny Rheingans is a Professor in the Department of Computer Science and Electrical Engineering and Director of the Center for Women in Technology (CWIT) at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County.
As CWIT Director, she oversees a scholarship program for undergraduates committed to increasing gender diversity in the technology fields and develops programs to increase the interest and retention of women in technology programs. Dr. Rheingans is active in teaching, mentoring, and advising students. She was awarded the University System of Maryland Regent’s Mentoring Award in 2012.
Her research is in the area of data visualization, with an emphasis on the visualization of predictive models, data with associated uncertainty, volume models, time-varying data, and non-spatial data. Her approach builds on a foundation of knowledge about perception, cognition, and illustration and a belief in the value of interdisciplinary collaboration and experimental validation. Dr. Rheingans has over eighty published works in scientific conference, journals, workshops, and books. In particular, she coauthored the NIH/NSF Visualization Research Challenges report, published in 2006 by IEEE.