On April 15, Internet Governance Lab Faculty Director Dr. Laura DeNardis received American University’s highest honor: the Scholar/Teacher of the Year Award. This University Faculty Award recognizes an outstanding faculty member who has made significant contributions in the areas of teaching, research, and service.

AU President Sylvia Burwell awarded Dr. DeNardis with the honor at an annual faculty recognition dinner, where Dr. DeNardis' achievements and valuable contributions in teaching, research, scholarly publications, and university and public service were cited.

Representing the finest scholar/teacher in the AU community, the Scholar/Teacher of the Year is awarded to a faculty member who has contributed immensely to the university, to the lives of students and colleagues, and to their respective disciplines. The Scholar/Teacher of the Year demonstrates outstanding and significant scholarly contributions, exceptional teaching, a commitment to high standards within one's professional life, recognized concern for students and colleagues, and sensitivity to the mission of the university.

Dr. DeNardis, a globally recognized Internet governance scholar, is Professor and Associate Dean of Faculty in the AU School of Communication. She also serves as Faculty Director of the Internet Governance Lab.

Her books include: The Global War for Internet Governance (Yale University Press 2014); Opening Standards: The Global Politics of Interoperability (MIT Press 2011); Protocol Politics: The Globalization of Internet Governance (MIT Press 2009); Information Technology in Theory (Thompson 2007 with Pelin Aksoy); and the co-edited book The Turn to Infrastructure in Internet Governance (Palgrave 2016).

With a background in Information engineering and a doctorate in Science and Technology Studies, Dr. DeNardis' research studies the social and political implications of Internet technical architecture and governance.

Dr. DeNardis is an Adjunct Senior Research Scholar in the Faculty of International and Public Affairs at Columbia University. She is an affiliated fellow at the Information Society Project at Yale Law School and previously served as its Executive Director. She also previously served as the Director of Research for the Global Commission on Internet Governance from 2014-2016.

Her expertise and scholarship is frequently featured in a wide variety of media outlets.