2015 Dan David Winners Announced

Jimmy Wales, co-founder of online encyclopedia Wikipedia, is one of six winners of the 2015 Dan David Prize, awarded each year for scientific, technological and cultural achievements that advance and improve the world.

The prize is awarded in three categories -- past, present and future – and $1 million dollars is given in each category. This year, Wales is the only laureate in the “Present” category, which was dedicated to “The Information Revolution.” The “Past” category for 2015 was dedicated to historians and their sources, with Prof. Peter R. Brown and Prof. Alessandro Portelli taking the prize, while in the “Future” category, dedicated to bioinformatics, scientists Dr. Cyrus Chothia, Prof. David Haussler and TAU Honorary Doctor Prof. Michael Waterman shared the prize.

Dan David Prize laureates donate 10% of their award money to graduate students in their respective fields, in order to foster a new generation of ground-breaking researchers. The prize, administered by Tel Aviv University, will be awarded to the winners at a ceremony on campus On May 17, 2015, during the TAU international Board of Governors Meeting.

Past winners include US Vice President Al Gore, film directors Joel and Ethan Coen and genome pioneer Prof. Eric Lander.