Person

I tend to be a very private person and prefer investing the vast majority of my time with people and relationships in the real world. I also tend to work on projects that have different levels of protections, intellectual property rights, and security requirements and as such am limited in what I can share publicly. So, my online presence may be sparse, uneven, or occasionally very rich. Mileage may vary. If you want to know who I really am as a person find me at a conference, invite me for coffee/tea, visit me in the glass studio, or ask me to come visit and give a talk about my work/research. I love meeting new people and learning about what excites you. Maybe we can find some overlaps of passion? 

My Personal Hobbies are Glassblowing, Metalwork, Boating, Camping, Games (board, card, video), Wine-making, Woodworking, Gardening, Woodwork, and Quadcopters.

G. Michael Youngblood, Ph.D. is a senior interactive systems researcher, engineer, designer, architect, and all-around builder. He currently focuses on human-machine collaboration system research. These tools utilize mixed-initiative and often components of explainable AI. He recently worked on mobile computing platforms (embedded systems) and interactive artificial intelligence systems (AI with humans in the loop) to facilitate positive behavior change in individual and social contexts. His research work has also focused on learning and understanding spatiotemporal elements in real and virtual environments in order to guide decisions by AI assisting elements. This work has involved mobile robots, smart houses and buildings, interactive 3D gaming, and mobile computing.  He is known for his "Can-Do" attitude, optimism in the face of imminent disaster, and ability to get the job done on time, on budget, and by design.

Specialties: Interactive Artificial Intelligence, User Assessment and Modeling, Knowledge and Information Data Structures and Processing, Machine and Human Learning, UX, Software Architecture, and Large-scale Systems 

Before joining PARC, Michael led the Game Intelligence Group as an Associate Professor in the Department of Computer Science, University of North Carolina at Charlotte. His well-funded research group conducted work in interactive artificial intelligence focusing on spatial reasoning representations, automated spatial decomposition techniques, dynamic behavior-based control, and tools to improve intelligent character creation. 

His dissertation work focused on automating intelligent environments to reduce user interaction through user modeling, activity recognition/prediction, and machine learning. He is the former general and program chair for IAAI, FLAIRS, and AIIDE. He has authored more than 100 peer-reviewed publications in the fields of interactive artificial intelligence in games, automating intelligent environments, game education, and robotics. 

Prior to life as a computer scientist and engineer, Dr. Youngblood served eight years in the US Navy nuclear submarine operations and repair service specializing in mechanical systems, nuclear chemistry, and radiological controls.  He is a plank owner of the USS BOISE (SSN-764) and was the first assigned to the boat. He decommissioned the USS CANOPUS (AS-34). And he led an improvement effort on the troubled USS EMORY S. LAND (AS-39) to being one of the best nuclear repair facilities in the fleet.

Dr. Youngblood is a member in good standing of AAAI, ACM, ACM/SIGART, ACM/SIGGRAPH, IGDA, Sigma Xi, IEEE, and IEEE-CS. He is a Tau Beta Pi fellow (2002-2003), and also a member of the 2007 DARPA Computer Science Study Group (CSSG).

My name is Michael or in more formal settings Dr. Youngblood (preferred) or Professor Youngblood (for those of you that feel only medical doctors are actually doctors, I have held this title so it is appropriate).

How do you pronounce "G. Michael Youngblood?" Well, the "G" is silent. 😀and the rest is  "MY"-kull, where kull - rhymes with dull.  y UH ng b l UH d. My first name is Gregory, that is not a secret, my parents always called me by my middle name instead and I have never changed that. There are a few of us odd ball middle name folks around. 

Oh, and if you really need to know, my pronouns are he / himself / his unless it is in a publication in which I have worked with others, which is often the case, then it is they / them / theirs of course,  I also like the royal we. 

2005 Ph.D. in Computer Science and Engineering, The University of Texas at Arlington, Intelligent Systems

• • Advisors: Lawrence B. Holder and Diane J. Cook, GPA: 4.00/4.00

  • Dissertation: Automating Inhabitant Interactions in Home and Workplace Environments through Data-Driven Generation of Hierarchical Partially-Observable Markov Decision Processes

  • Sigma Xi

2002 M.S. in Computer Science and Engineering, The University of Texas at Arlington, Intelligent Systems

• • Advisor: Lawrence B. Holder, GPA: 4.00/4.00

  • Thesis: Agent-based Simulated Cognitive Intelligence in Real-time Entertainment-based Artificial Environments

1999 Honors B.S. in Computer Science and Engineering, The University of Texas at Arlington, Robotics

• • Thesis Advisor: Lawrence B. Holder, GPA 4.00/4.00 Summa Cum Laude

  • Thesis: Autonomous Mobile Robot Exploration and Mapping of Place-Centric Occupancy Grids 

  • Tau Beta Pi, Texas Eta

  • Upsilon Pi Epsilon, Texas Gamma

  • Omicron Delta Kappa, Sincerus Orbis Circle

  • Golden Key Honor Society

1995 A.S. in Nuclear Engineering Technologies, Thomas Edison State College, Radiation Protection

1989-1994 U.S. Navy Nuclear Power Engineering Training:

• • 1994 Radiological Materials Shipper, Norfolk, VA

  • 1993 Radiological Controls Maintenance, IMANPY, Charleston, SC

  • 1990 D1G Engineering Laboratory Technician, Knolls Atomic Power Laboratories (DOE), Ballston Spa, NY 

  • 1990 D1G Prototype Mechanical Operator, Knolls Atomic Power Laboratories (DOE), Ballston Spa, NY 

  • 1989 Naval Nuclear Power School, Orlando, FL

  • 1989 Nuclear Field “A” School (Mechanical), Orlando, FL

1988 Bishop High School

• • Graduated 7th of 88

  • National Honor Society

  • Mu Alpha Theta 

I am a Myers-Briggs type  ENTP-A. While some folk's personality preferences are clearly indicative of a certain type, I tend to be more neutral and lean towards this type. I believe that this helps me understand other preference sets, and has allowed me to listen, internalize, and empathize more with others. I have also participated in FIRO-B evaluation, which revealed an expressed/wanted behavior preference set typical in strong team builders and leaders. 

Psychometric analysis is an interesting area, but not necessary an exact science. I am always interested in talking with others that have participated in formal personal psychometric evaluations with the caveat that you have to know yourself and your preferences/scores to discuss me and mine.

LinkedIn - My digital CV

Instagram - Social picture sharing.

Twitter - Public ramblings with infrequent posts.

YouTube - Research videos and other recordings.

Pinterest - A sense of my style or atleast the style of the ideas I collect.

500px - High quality pictures I have taken that I am sharing with everyone including use in other peoples projects, media, and other art.

Facebook - The ethically-challenged social network. I am no longer an active member. Catch me on Instagram instead. I know that they are both owned by different type-face (i.e., 2-faced) FACEBOOK, INC.

I am a level 7 Google Local Guide as well as an Open Street Map contributor working to improve the data in the world around us.