Rita Orji is a distinguished Nigerian-Canadian computer scientist, currently serving as a Full Professor and Canada Research Chair in Persuasive Technology at Dalhousie University. She leads the Persuasive Computing Lab, where her innovative research focuses on human-computer interaction, persuasive technology, and responsible AI. Orji is particularly dedicated to designing interactive systems that cater to underserved populations and the Global South.
Her contributions to the field have earned her recognition as a Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences and a member of both the Royal Society of Canada College and the Global Young Academy. In February twenty twenty-six, she was appointed by the United Nations General Assembly to the Independent International Scientific Panel on Artificial Intelligence, a pioneering body aimed at evaluating AI's societal and economic impacts.
Orji has been an influential voice on global platforms, addressing the United Nations on women's status and presenting at the Parliament of Canada. With over four hundred peer-reviewed publications and more than eleven thousand citations, she has consistently ranked among the top two percent of scientists worldwide, as recognized by Stanford University.
Throughout her career, Rita Orji has received more than one hundred awards and accolades from various national and international organizations, underscoring her significant impact in the realm of technology and her commitment to advancing the field of computer science.