Liskov named Franklin Institute Awards Laureate

Earlier this month, The Franklin Institute recognized Barbara Liskov, MIT Institute Professor Emerita and CSAIL principal investigator, as a laureate while awarding her the 2023 Benjamin Franklin Medal in Computer and Cognitive Science. Liskov earned the prize through her contributions to computer programming languages and methodology, which enable the implementation of reliable, reusable programs.

The Franklin Institute Awards celebrates visionaries for their groundbreaking scientific achievements each year. Liskov was among nine scientific innovators named laureates, with each recipient commended as a role model fighting for equity and change.

Liskov has long been a voice for equity at MIT, assisting with efforts to improve life for female scholars. She has assisted with faculty hiring and retention, as well as family issues, aiming to build parity for women at the institute. Additionally, Liskov has participated in summits showcasing women’s computer science research, further illustrating a dedication to equity that earned her a lifetime achievement award from the Society of Women Engineers.

She currently focuses on distributed and parallel systems, ​​programming methodology, and programming languages and systems. Her previous innovations include the design and implementation of two key programming languages: CLU, which is the first language to support data abstraction, and later Argus, which is the first high-level language to support the implementation of distributed programs. Ultimately, Liskov’s groundbreaking work paved the way for languages like Java and C#.

Liskov is a member of the National Academy of Engineering and a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences and the Association for Computer Machinery. Her other recognitions include The Society of Women Engineers' Achievement Award in 1996, the IEEE John von Neumann medal in 2004, and the A.M. Turing Award from ACM in 2009 — often referred to as the “Nobel Prize in computing.”
Her most recent award will be celebrated during a ceremony on April 27, 2023 at The Franklin Institute in Philadelphia.