ACM Advanced Grades of Membership
The ACM Fellow Recognition Program
The ACM Fellow program was established by the ACM Council in June 1993 to recognize outstanding ACM members for technical, professional and leadership contributions that:
- advance the arts, sciences and practices of information processing,
- promote the free interchange of ideas and information in the field,
- develop and maintain the integrity and competence of individuals in the field, and
- advance the objectives of ACM.
Each candidate is evaluated as a whole individual and is expected to bring honor to the ACM. A candidate's accomplishments are expected to place him or her among the top 1% of ACM members. In general, two categories of accomplishments are considered: achievements related to information technology and outstanding service to ACM or the larger computing community. A person selected as an ACM Fellow should be a role model and an inspiration to other members.
The ACM Distinguished Member Recognition Program
The ACM Distinguished Member Recognition Program, initiated in 2006, recognizes those members with at least 15 years of professional experience who have made significant accomplishments or achieved a significant impact on the computing field.
ACM Distinguished Membership recognizes up to 10% of ACM's top members who have had significant accomplishments or impact on the computing field. Along with Fellows and Senior Members, ACM’s Distinguished Members are part of ACM’s prestigious Advanced Member Grades Program.
Why is ACM Distinguished Member Designation Important?
ACM Distinguished Member status represents an important ACM Membership and career milestone.
Recipients of this honor include computer scientists and engineers from some of the world’s leading corporations, research labs, and universities who made significant advances in technology that are having lasting impacts on the lives of people across the globe.
The ACM Senior Member Recognition Program
The ACM Senior Member program, initiated in 2006, includes members with at least 10 years of professional experience who have demonstrated performance through technical leadership, and technical or professional contributions.
As one of ACM’s prestigious Advanced Member Grades, ACM Senior Member status recognizes the top 25% of ACM Professional Members for their demonstrated excellence in the computing field.
Along with Fellows and Distinguished Members, ACM’s Senior Members join a distinguished list of colleagues to whom ACM and its members look for guidance and leadership in computing and information technology.
Why is ACM Senior Membership Important?
ACM Senior Membership represents an important ACM Membership and career milestone. While still a relatively new honor, ACM Senior Member status has quickly become a globally acknowledged and respected distinction.
And more importantly, it is emblematic of a high degree of professional competency, and acts as a measure by which peers and employers can acknowledge technical expertise and professional accomplishments.
ACM Names 2016 Fellows
ACM has named 53 of its members as ACM Fellows for major contributions in areas including artificial intelligence, cryptography, computer architecture, human-computer interaction, high performance computing and programming languages. The achievements of the 2016 ACM Fellows are accelerating the digital revolution, and affect almost every aspect of how we live and work today. “As nearly 100,000 computing professionals are members of our association, to be selected to join the top one percent is truly an honor,” says ACM President Vicki L. Hanson. (Image: 2015 ACM Fellows)