14 May 2006

We are pleased to announce that the 3d winner of the Freeman Award is Garry Robins of University of Melbourne's Department of Psychology.

This award is given to a distinguished scholar in the field of social networks for significant contributions to the scientific study of social structure.

The award is designed to be given to a young scholar, someone in the earlier stages of their research career -- someone under 40 years old or someone who has received their PhD within the past 10 years. Consideration is also given to persons who have come to education later in life or who have interrupted their career for any reason (family, health, etc.)

Why Garry?

"Garry's PhD was completed at the University of Melbourne in 1998, winning the 1999 Psychometric Society Dissertation Prize and the 2000 Distinguished Dissertation Award of the American Psychological Society (Division 5: Evaluation, Measurement and Statistics). In this work, Garry developed his interest in exponential random graph models, and he outlined a general framework for constructing models for social influence, social selection, exponential random graph models in discrete time and models for valued networks. Since completing his PhD, he has elaborated these possibilities further and developed increasingly more effective models within the general framework. He has also worked at both theoretical and empirical levels on the interface between social networks, the self, personality and mental health. His 24 peer-reviewed publications to date have included papers in the American Journal of Sociology, Psychometrika, Sociological Methodology, Social Networks, Journal of Mathematical Sociology and Personality and Social Psychology Review. Garry is currently an Associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Melbourne."

"... Garry's contribution to the field of social network research has been systematic and substantial."

The winner of this award is selected by a committee, hereinafter referred to as the Committee, designated by the INSNA Board president (or his/her representative). Suggested recipients are nominated by members of the Committee and by any interested members of the social network community at large. The Committee considers the nominated candidates' contributions and qualifications through a series of electronic discussions. The award winner is chosen by the Committee using a "preferential ballot" procedure as suggested by Doug Carroll and Joseph Kruskal .

The award is chosen every other year, starting in the year 2002, and announced that year at the annual Sunbelt conference. The award winner will be presented the award the following year at the Sunbelt conference. In addition, the award recipient will give a 1 hour plenary lecture at the Sunbelt which reviews the work for which the award was given and/or an overview of an area of social network analysis. Expenses for the conference will be part of the award.