Royal Society Honors Monika Henzinger

Professor Monika Henzinger of the Institute of Science and Technology Austria (ISTA) has been named the 2027 recipient of the prestigious Royal Society Milner Award and Lecture for her pioneering computer science research and lasting impact in both academia and industry.

A leading European distinction in computer science, the annual prize recognizes exceptional contributions and culminates in the delivery of a lecture at the Royal Society in London. Award recipients also receive a medal and 5,000 British Pounds (5,830 Euro).

Henzinger’s research focuses on efficient algorithms and data structures, as well as responsible computing and differential privacy. Her work has important applications in artificial intelligence, including the development of methods for training large language models while protecting personal data.

‘Deeply honored’

In its award citation, the Royal Society praised Henzinger for “pioneering research in areas including efficient algorithms, differential privacy, web information retrieval, and systems profiling, and having a long-lasting impact in academia and industry.”

Henzinger said she felt privileged to receive the prize.

“I feel deeply honored as I have the highest regard for the Royal Society and the former recipients of the award,” she said.

2026-2027 ACM Athena Lecturer

The Royal Society distinction follows another major recognition for Henzinger. In May, the Association for Computing Machinery named her its 2026-2027 ACM Athena Lecturer.

Presented annually to a woman researcher who has made fundamental contributions to computer science, it includes an invitation to deliver a lecture in addition to 25,000 US dollars (21,445 Euro).

Henzinger, who is a strong advocate for computer science education in schools, currently serves as ISTA’s Vice President for Technology Transfer and also heads her own ISTA research group. Previously, she was a professor at the University of Vienna and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (EPFL) and served as Google’s first Director of Research.

Henzinger’s numerous other distinctions include Austria’s Wittgenstein Award, the country’s top scientific honor, and she is a member of both the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina.