Institutional development · Student experience, equity and outcomes · Switzerland
UBC computer scientist Margo Seltzer wins the EPFL-WISH 2026 Erna Hamburger Award
The EPFL-WISH Foundation's 2026 award goes to Margo Seltzer, whose work includes the Berkeley DB database software. She will collect it in Lausanne on 11 November.
Why it matters: Margo Seltzer of the University of British Columbia is due to accept the prize and speak at EPFL in Lausanne on 11 November 2026.
EPFL announced that this year's Erna Hamburger Award has gone to Margo Seltzer, who holds a Canada 150 Research Chair and the Cheriton Family Professorship of Computer Science at the University of British Columbia.
According to EPFL, the EPFL-WISH (Women In Science and Humanities) Foundation launched the prize in 2006 and awards it each year to a woman scientist or engineer who is reshaping her discipline and inspiring younger generations.
EPFL described the US-born Seltzer as a builder of novel software systems, notably Berkeley DB, whose research covers data provenance, databases, file systems and transaction processing.
Seltzer said that reviewing the names of past recipients, many of whom she sees as leaders in their disciplines, made the selection both an honour and a humbling experience.
Editor’s view
Rachel Smith, Students and International Editor
Margo Seltzer of the University of British Columbia is this year's recipient of the EPFL-WISH Foundation prize, and her ceremony and lecture in Lausanne are set for 11 November 2026.
What to watch
- The award ceremony, where Seltzer will also speak, takes place on EPFL's Lausanne campus on the evening of 11 November 2026, starting at 6:30pm.
