Jon Kleinberg ’93, the Tisch University Professor of Computer Science and Information Science in the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science, has received the World Laureates Association (WLA) Prize for foundational contributions in computer science and social science.

An internationally recognized leader in social networks and algorithmic fairness, Kleinberg is one of two recipients of this year’s WLA Prize, which was established in 2021 to recognize world-class researchers and technologists who have made a profound impact on science. The award includes a gift equivalent to $1.4 million.

The WLA cited Kleinberg’s work in furthering our understanding of information technology’s impact on the human condition.

Credit: Scavone Photography/Provided

“His seminal research – which spans algorithms, behavioral economics, game theory, law, and network science – has yielded deep conceptual understanding of the current state of information technology and has provided signposts for its future development,” said Michael I. Jordan, chair of the 2024 WLA Prize selection committee, Sept. 12 in announcing the award. “Kleinberg’s accomplishments have spanned computer science, mathematics and economics – not only solving important problems in each of these fields, but also opening doors for researchers in these fields to begin to work together to address emerging societal problems.”

Kleinberg will be recognized during a WLA award ceremony in Shanghai in October.

He has previously been selected for MacArthur, Packard, Simons and Sloan Foundation fellowships. He’s also won multiple awards, including the 2014 ACM/AAAI Allen Newell Award; the Nevanlinna Prize; the Lanchester Prize; and the ACM Prize in Computing.

He is a member of the National AI Advisory Committee, which advises the U.S. president and the National AI Initiative Office on issues related to artificial intelligence. He also has served on the Computer and Information Science and Engineering (CISE) Advisory Committee of the National Science Foundation, and the Computer Science and Telecommunications Board (CSTB) of the National Research Council.

In June, Kleinberg was named to the American Philosophical Society.

Louis DiPietro is a writer for the Cornell Ann S. Bowers College of Computing and Information Science.