Esther Duflo, one of the founders and a Director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), a global network of researchers based at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and supported by Abdul Latif Jameel Community Initiatives (ALJCI), won the prestigious Infosys Prize 2014 for “her pioneering and prodigious contributions to development economics, with important implications for policies pertaining to the delivery of services to the poor” according to the Infosys Science Foundation (ISF). Duflo is the Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics at the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). “I am honored that my contributions and that of hundreds of colleagues affiliated with J-PAL is being recognized by such a high-caliber group. Understanding poverty and how we can fight it through rigorous research in development is very close to my heart,” Duflo said. The Infosys Prize 2014 ran across six categories. In addition to the award given to Duflo for her work in Social Sciences, the ISF announced five other researchers who stood out for their impactful contributions in their respective fields of Engineering and Computer Science, Humanities, Life Sciences, Mathematical Sciences, and Physical Sciences. The panel of jurors included esteemed international scientists and professors in the Social Sciences including Prof. Kaushik Basu, who is the Chief Economic and Senior Vice President at the World Bank Group, as well as the former founding President of the Human Development and Capabilities Association, the economist and Nobel Laureate Amartya Sen. According to N. R. Narayana Murthy, President of the Board of Trustees at the ISF, the Infosys Prize over the years had revealed the best researchers, which were inspiring their students and other professionals, as well as having the potential for real-time impact on individuals and society. The ISF focuses its energies on fostering a culture of scientific thinking through educational initiatives in rural areas. The President of India, Shri Pranab Mukherjee, will hand the winners their prize, including a certificate, during an award ceremony on Jan. 5, 2015 in Kolkata. — SG
