Serena Booth Has Been Named A Canadian Institute For Advanced Research (CIFAR) Azrieli Global Scholar
- Posted by Robayet Hossain
- on June 28, 2025
Brown CS faculty member Serena Booth has been named a 2025 Azrieli Global Scholar for the Canadian Institute for Advanced Research (CIFAR), an honor that recognizes outstanding early-career researchers from around the world. This award will support Serena’s work in human-AI interaction and AI policy, connecting her with a global network of scientists as she develops new approaches for AI systems that better align with human values. As part of this recognition, Serena will receive $100,000 CAD in unrestricted research support to advance her work.
The CIFAR Azrieli Global Scholars program is designed to accelerate the careers of exceptional early-stage faculty, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and leadership development. Scholars join one of CIFAR’s global research programs for a two-year term, participating in a close network of international researchers and receiving mentorship, leadership training, and the opportunity to pursue cross-disciplinary ideas. Serena joins CIFAR’s program on Innovation, Equity, and the Future of Prosperity that explores the question of how innovation can be beneficial to all.
"I'm really pleased to receive this award, in recognition of and in service of my future work on economic policy and AI,” Serena says. “It's a cliché, but it's true: this technology is transformative and has incredible potential, but the risks to economic justice and widening inequality are terrifying. I'll be using this recognition to reflect and work on these issue areas."
At Brown, Serena’s research explores human-robot interaction, trustworthy AI, and mechanisms to ensure that AI systems and robots align with human values. Her recent work focuses on assisting people in designing specifications for AI systems to prevent the common problems of misspecification, overspecification, and underspecification. She has also worked on AI policy issues around how AI systems are being used in high-stakes applications, like housing and banking.
For more information, click the link that follows to contact Brown CS Communications Manager Jesse C. Polhemus.
