Alondra Nelson Receives Honorary Doctorate from Northeastern University

Alondra Nelson, Harold F. Linder Professor in the School of Social Science, has received an honorary doctorate from Northeastern University, in recognition of her work as a “groundbreaking advocate for scientific discovery and technology innovation that focuses on ethics, racial and gender equity, and access.”

Having recently concluded her term in the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), where she was first Principal Deputy Director for Science and Society at OSTP, before being appointed to perform the duties of director of the OSTP and as Deputy Assistant to the President, Nelson has now returned to her role in the School of Social Science and will lead the 2023–24 special theme year that considers the impact of “platforms.”

In her academic work, Nelson examines questions in science, technology, and social inequality, offering a critical and innovative approach to the social sciences in fruitful dialogue with other fields. Her major research contributions are situated at the intersection of racial formation and social citizenship, on the one hand, and emerging scientific and technological phenomena, on the other.

Nelson was formally granted the degree during the May 7 commencement, held at Fenway Park in Boston, Massachusetts. Read an interview Nelson gave with Northeastern University here.