By Molly A. Seltzer

Elke Weber,  the Gerhard R. Andlinger Professor in Energy and the Environment and professor of psychology and public affairs at the Princeton School of Public and International Affairs,  was named a member of the National Academy of Sciences in recognition of her distinguished and continuing achievements in original research. Weber was one of four Princeton University faculty members elected this year. She is among 146 scientists, scholars and engineers elected this year in recognition of their contributions to their respective fields.

Weber, who is also the associate director for education at the Andlinger Center, is known internationally for using behavioral decision science and psychological theory to advance global understanding of and help to alleviate social problems. She has been recognized for her distinctive approach to linking psychology principles to behavior change and uncovering the implications for environmental and economic policy, communications, management, economics, and leadership models.  Her recent research shows how the personal carbon footprint of climate scientists, philanthropists and other climate advocates affect the perceived legitimacy of and policy support for their climate strategies. Weber’s research ranges from studies of discrimination and economic inequality to investigations of the social and psychological barriers to decarbonization. Much of her work contextualizes tradeoffs and decision-making risks, especially under conditions of uncertainty.

Weber joined the Princeton University faculty in 2016 from Columbia University. At Princeton, she founded the Behavioral Science for Policy Lab. At Columbia University, she founded the Center for Decision Sciences and Center for Research on Environmental Decisions, which is still active today. Weber was the Jerome A. Chazen Professor of International Business at Columbia Business School for 17 years, and also held visiting appointments at London Business School and the Copenhagen Business School.

In 2018, Weber was named a fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science. She is also a fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences, and a member of the German National Academy of Sciences (Leopoldina). She is a fellow of the American Psychological Association and American Psychological Society, and has held leadership positions in Society for Neuroeconomics, Society for Judgment and Decision Making, Society for Mathematical psychology, among others.

Jennifer Rexford, a member of the Andlinger Center’s executive committee, was also elected as a fellow. Rexford is the Gordon Y.S. Wu Professor in Engineering, professor of computer science and chair of the Department of Computer Science. Rexford’s research focuses on internet routing and network measurement, and making data networks easier to manage. Among other areas, she has contributed to advances in the Border Gateway Protocol, which enables communications across the many networks that form the internet. She also helped establish methods to improve the design and control of networks at multiple levels.