Michael D. Ekstrand

Dr. Michael D. Ekstrand is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Computer Science at Boise State University, where he focuses on evaluating and understanding recommender systems in relation to user goals and information needs. His research emphasizes supporting reproducible research in the field of recommender systems. Dr. Ekstrand is also the lead developer of LensKit, an open-source toolkit designed for building, researching, and studying recommender systems.He teaches several courses on Coursera, including "Introduction to Recommender Systems: Non-Personalized and Content-Based," "Matrix Factorization and Advanced Techniques," and "Recommender Systems Capstone." His work aims to enhance the effectiveness of recommendation algorithms while ensuring they meet user needs.Dr. Ekstrand earned his Ph.D. from the University of Minnesota and has contributed significantly to the field through his research and development efforts. He is actively involved in various academic initiatives and has presented at numerous conferences related to information science and recommender systems.