The MIT Disobedience Award, given by the

MIT Media Lab The MIT Media Lab is a research laboratory at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, growing out of MIT's Architecture Machine Group in the School of Architecture. Its research does not restrict to fixed academic disciplines, but draws from ...

Massachusetts Institute of Technology The Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is a private land-grant research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Established in 1861, MIT has played a key role in the development of modern technology and science, and is one of the ...

, was a $250,000 cash-prize

award An award, sometimes called a distinction, is something given to a recipient as a token of recognition of excellence in a certain field. When the token is a medal, ribbon or other item designed for wearing, it is known as a decoration. An awar ...

that recognized and honored the efforts of an individual or an organization whose ethical disobedience of authority resulted in a positive social impact. The award was active from May 2017 to September 2019, when it was cancelled after connections between the Media Lab and

Jeffrey Epstein Jeffrey Edward Epstein ( ; January 20, 1953August 10, 2019) was an American sex offender and financier. Epstein, who was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City, began his professional life by teaching at the Dalton School in Manhattan, des ...

became public. The physical award was a glass orb, fabricated by MIT Media Lab professor

Neri Oxman Neri Oxman ( he, נרי אוקסמן; born February 6, 1976) is an American–Israeli designer and professor at the MIT Media Lab, where she led the Mediated Matter research group. She is known for art and architecture that combine design, b ...

. The Disobedience Award was an international award, and individuals and organizations from all disciplines and specialties, including science, medicine, human rights, politics, law, journalism, and technology, were eligible for nomination.

History

The Disobedience Award was created by former director of the

Joi Ito is a Japanese entrepreneur and venture capitalist. He is a former director of the MIT Media Lab, former professor of the practice of media arts and sciences at MIT, and a former visiting professor of practice at the Harvard Law School. Ito has re ...

and

LinkedIn LinkedIn () is an American business and employment-oriented online service that operates via websites and mobile apps. Launched on May 5, 2003, the platform is primarily used for professional networking and career development, and allows job se ...

co-founder

Reid Hoffman Reid Garrett Hoffman (born August 5, 1967) is an American internet entrepreneur, venture capitalist, podcaster, and author. Hoffman was the co-founder and executive chairman of LinkedIn, a business-oriented social network used primarily for prof ...

in July 2016. In July 2017, the Media Lab presented the Disobedience Award to recipients

Marc Edwards Marc or Mark Edwards may refer to: Marc Edwards * Marc Edwards (American football) (born 1974), American football player * Marc Edwards (professor) (born 1964), professor of civil and environmental engineering * Marc Edwards (drummer) (born 1949), ...

and

Mona Hanna-Attisha Mona Hanna-Attisha is a pediatrician, professor, and public health advocate whose research exposed the Flint water crisis. She is the author of the 2018 book ''What the Eyes Don't See'', which ''The New York Times'' named as one of the 100 most ...

to honor their efforts in exposing high levels of lead in the water supply of

Flint, Michigan Flint is the largest city and seat of Genesee County, Michigan, United States. Located along the Flint River, northwest of Detroit, it is a principal city within the region known as Mid Michigan. At the 2020 census, Flint had a population of 8 ...

during the Flint Water Crisis. In 2018, the annual award was presented to the founder of the #MeToo movement,

Tarana Burke Tarana Burke (born September 12, 1973) is an American activist from The Bronx, New York, who started the MeToo movement. In 2006, Burke began using MeToo to help other women with similar experiences to stand up for themselves. Over a decade late ...

, and to

BethAnn McLaughlin BethAnn McLaughlin is an American neuroscientist, activist, and hoaxer. She is a former assistant professor of neurology at Vanderbilt University. Her research at Vanderbilt focused on neural stress responses and brain injury. After being denied ...

and Sherry Marts; who were recognized for activism in the #MeToo movement and the #MeTooSTEM movement, and for efforts in combating sexual harassment and misconduct in science and in academia. In September 2019, one of the awards' jurors

Anand Giridharadas Anand Giridharadas () is an American journalist and political pundit. He is a former columnist for ''The New York Times''. He is the author of four books: ''India Calling: An Intimate Portrait of a Nation's Remaking'' (2011), ''The True American: ...

resigned after news came out involving Ito's associations with Jeffrey Epstein. MIT gave orbs similar to the glass orb that was part of the prize to both Epstein and Hoffman.

Recipients

References

External links

* {{official, https://www.media.mit.edu/groups/disobedience-award/overview/ American awards Awards established in 2016 2016 establishments in Massachusetts MIT Media Lab Awards disestablished in 2019 2019 disestablishments in Massachusetts