Ronald Burt is the Charles M. Harper Leadership Professor of Sociology and Strategy at the University of Chicago, and a Distinguished Professor at Bocconi University. The Distinguished Scholar Award goes to Ron Burt whose work not only created the predominant theoretical and empirical framework for our field but has served as a foundation of the explosive growth of social networks.  Everyone in the field of social networks has been influenced by his work. 

The structural holes construct that Ron pioneered is, of course, only one facet of Ron's remarkable and unparalleled contributions. Long before Structural Holes was published in 1992 (now cited over 35,000 times), for example, Ron's 1982 book, "Toward a structural theory of action", already had had a substantial impact on the emergent study of social networks, including providing an important spark for the illustrious research program of our other Distinguished Scholar Award winner, David Krackhardt.

Other facets of Ron's work include his remarkable methodological creativity, a generation of scholars shaped by Ron's theory, methods, and passion, and the electricity that Ron generates in his formal presentations and one-on-one interactions, which both convey new knowledge but also embolden his audiences with an enthusiasm for unpacking and illuminating social phenomena.  One judge indicated, "I've often said that if management were a field that gave out Nobel Prizes, I would nominate Ron Burt." We are all indebted to Ron for his pioneering research program and vision.