ACM, the Association for Computing Machinery, today recognized individuals with awards for their exemplary service to the computing field. Spanning diverse disciplines, the 2025 award recipients were selected by their peers for energizing a thriving community that makes a real impact on both their colleagues and the wider world. This year’s awardees drove advancements in learning tools for computer science education, technology policy, and broadening participation in computing—among other areas.

Researchers at Helmholtz Munich, the Ludwig Maximilians University Munich (LMU) and collaborating institutions have developed an artificial intelligence (AI) framework that maps disease-related changes throughout the entire mouse body at cellular resolution. Using the new platform, called MouseMapper, the researchers uncovered widespread inflammation and previously unrecognized damage to facial sensory nerves caused by obesity. Importantly, they also identified corresponding molecular signatures in human tissue, suggesting that key features of obesity-associated nerve damage are conserved across species. The findings are published today in the journal Nature.

The University of North Florida has received a National Science Foundation award that will allow researchers to make 3D‑printed metal parts more reliable and less wasteful.

Once only achievable in the far-fetched imaginations of science fiction writers, 3D printing has gone mainstream. Relatively inexpensive machines allow individuals to design and print everything from board games and desk accessories to replacement parts for household appliances and more. One of the biggest selling points is the ability to recycle a printed piece into something new, offering a potential pathway to more sustainable living. However, the highest quality 3D printing used to create extremely precise structures at the submicron scale — a method called stereolithography — uses process that involves photocuring resin by exposing the material to ultraviolet (UV) light. This irreversibly chemically changes the resin, making it impossible to recycle.