Presenting the 2026 Miles Conrad Lecture: Standards as Social Values
Dr. Alondra P. Nelson, Harold F. Linder Chair, and Professor, The School of Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study
Late last year, NISO named Dr. Alondra P. Nelson the recipient of the 2026 Miles Conrad Award in recognition of outstanding contributions to the information community. Nelson was director of the Office of Science, Technology, and Policy during the Biden administration and is currently Harold F. Linder Chair for the Social of Social Science at the Institute for Advanced Study. She delivered the Miles Conrad Lecture, entitled “Standards as Social Values,” during the NISO Plus Baltimore awards luncheon on Tuesday, February 17. (She did so remotely from New Delhi, where she was also scheduled to speak at the India AI Impact Summit 2026.)
Beginning by noting Miles Conrad’s foresight in recognizing how technology would impact research information, Nelson presented a view of information standards through the lens of research by sociologists Susan Lee Starr and Geoffrey Bowker. Their work emphasizes that infrastructure and standards are inherently instilled with social values and reflect the beliefs and biases of the bodies that produce them. Nelson then made the case that those engaged in the creation of standards bear a responsibility to instill democratic values and accountability in their work. She connected these views to her own work at the OSTP, particularly in advancing public access to federally funded research and developing a Blueprint for a Bill of AI rights. Insightful and inspiring, the lecture garnered praise from many conference participants, with one simply stating, “Wow,” in the post-event survey.