Maja Matarić is a Chan Soon-Shiong distinguished professor of Computer Science, Neuroscience, and Pediatrics at the University of Southern California, founding director of the USC Robotics and Autonomous Systems Center, and co-director of the USC Robotics Research Lab. Previously, she was an interim Vice President of Research, Vice Dean for Research, and President of the USC faculty and the Academic Senate. Her research is focused on creating robots that help people help themselves to do their own work and reach their potential. She is a pioneer of the field of socially assistive robotics, which focuses on developing personalized human-robot interaction methods for behavior change aimed at health, wellness, rehabilitation, training and education.

Matarić received her PhD in Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence from MIT in 1994, MS in Computer Science from MIT in 1990, and BS in Computer Science from the University of Kansas in 1987.