Morris Lecture: Alondra Nelson (Institute for Advanced Study)

Each spring semester, BU Sociology hosts the Albert Morris Lecture in Sociology. Named in honor of the first Department Chair, this lectureship was established in 2009 after a generous gift to the Department from an anonymous alumnus. Bio: Alondra Nelson is the Harold F. Linder Professor at the Institute for Advanced Study, where she leads the Science, Technology, and Social Values Lab. Widely known for her scholarship at the intersection of science, technology, and society, Nelson's research takes an innovative approach to the social sciences in generative dialogue with other fields. She is the author of several award-winning books, including The Social Life of DNA, and her essays, reviews, and commentary have been featured in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Foreign Affairs, Wired and Science. She was previously president and CEO of the Social Science Research Council and served on the faculty of Yale University and Columbia University. At Columbia, she served as the inaugural Dean of Social Science and professor of sociology and gender studies. As distinguished senior fellow at the Center for American Progress, Nelson has provided guidance on responsible science, technology, and innovation policy to local, state, and federal governments, multilateral and intergovernmental organizations, legislators, civil society institutions, and others. Nelson was formerly deputy assistant to and acting director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), where she led the development of the “Blueprint for an AI Bill of Rights,” a cornerstone of President Biden’s recent artificial intelligence executive order. In recognition of her OSTP tenure, Nature named Nelson to its global list of Ten People Who Shaped Science. In 2023, she was included on the TIME100 inaugural list of the most influential people in AI, and was appointed by United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres to serve on the High-level Advisory Body on AI. In 2024, Nelson was appointed by President Biden to the National Science Board, the body that establishes the policies of the National Science Foundation and advises Congress and the President. She is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts and Science, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, the American Philosophical Society, the Council on Foreign Relations, and the U.S. National Academy of Medicine.

When 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm on 27 March 2025
Building Leventhal Center Auditorium, 233 Bay State Rd