Professor Earns Commendation for Internationally Recognized Work in Information Science

CLEVELAND – Dr. Toshinori Munakata, professor emeritus of computer and information science at Cleveland State University, has received a certificate of commendation from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan.

Dr. Munakata, an expert in the field of artificial intelligence, was honored for his internationally recognized scholarship and research.

The commendation from Japanese Foreign Minister Koichiro Gemba reads: "The Minister for Foreign Affairs of Japan extends his deepest regards to Dr. Toshinori Munakata in recognition of his distinguished service in contributing to the promotion and enlightenment of information science, and to the advancement of academic exchange in information science between Japan and the United States of America, thereby contributing to the cordial relations between Japan and other nations of the world."

Japanese Deputy Consul General Midori Takeuchi presented the commendation to Dr. Munakata during a ceremony in Cleveland.

Dr. Munakata, a native of Japan, came to the United States in 1967. The second edition of his definitive textbook, Fundamentals of the New Artificial Intelligence, was published in 2008. He also has published numerous journal articles on artificial intelligence and related topics, including evolutionary computing, fuzzy logic and neural networks.

In light of his pioneering work in artificial intelligence, Dr. Munakata was profiled in a 2011 story titled "25 Japanese Who Changed the World" in the Japanese edition of Newsweek.