On Tuesday, President Joe Biden awarded Dr. Juan E. Gilbert, a UF professor of computer science, with the National Medal of Technology and Innovation for developing a voting system that increases reliability and access along with his work to drive diversity in the sector.  

Gilbert’s work with voting started after the 2000 election and culminated with the invention of Prime III—the first open-source voting system to be used for federal, state and local elections.  

“The mission of the research enterprise at the University of Florida is to make a positive difference in the lives of people in the state, the nation, and the world, both in the present and in the future,” UF President Ben Sasse said in a press release. “Dr. Juan Gilbert is doing just that. We could not be more pleased.”    

Prime III accommodates voters with physical disabilities, and Gilbert has focused on the intersection of technology and human use, working to improve the interaction for everyone. He heads UF’s Computing for Social Good Lab.  

 “I’ve always wanted to help other people, and I saw science as empowering,” Gilbert said in a press release. 

Gilbert was one of nine recipients awarded the medal at a White House ceremony.  

In 2011, Gilbert earned the Presidential Award for Excellence in Science, Mathematics, and Engineering Mentoring from President Barack Obama. Gilbert is also a fellow of the Association for Computing Machinery, the American Association of the Advancement of Science, the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers and the National Academy of Inventors.