Looking Ahead: The Department of Computing Sciences Launches the Trevisan Prize
A prize to honor brilliance, rigor, and curiosity — traits that defined one of the most influential theoretical computer scientists of our time. The Department of Computing Sciences at Bocconi University has opened nominations for the inaugural Trevisan Prize 2025, an international award dedicated to groundbreaking work in the Theory of Computing, established in memory of Luca Trevisan, who passed away prematurely in June 2024.
Trevisan was internationally renowned for his contributions to computational complexity, algorithmic randomness, and cryptography. After a stellar academic career at institutions including Berkeley, Stanford, Columbia, and MIT, he returned to Italy in 2019 and became one of the founding faculty members of Bocconi’s Department of Computing Sciences.
“Luca was not only a theoretical genius — he was a generous mentor, a brilliant communicator, and someone who built communities around science,” says Alon Rosen, Director of the Department. “With this prize, we want to carry forward his vision: rewarding those who, like him, use theory to explore new frontiers with both rigor and imagination.”
The Trevisan Prize will be awarded every two years to two individuals: one award will be granted to an early-career researcher, and one to a mid-career researcher. One of the stated goals of the prize is also to broaden the reach of awards, both in terms of research areas and the recognition of individuals who may be underrepresented in existing prize landscapes.
Informal nominations are open until July 31, 2025, with complete applications due by August 31, 2025. An international committee will evaluate all submissions.
“This prize is not only about scientific excellence,” Rosen adds, “it is a way to keep alive the values Luca stood for: openness, intellectual depth, and integrity.”
The prize also signals continuity for a young department already making its mark on the international stage. In addition to his research, Trevisan championed interdisciplinary thinking, inclusion, and education, launching a new Master’s program in Artificial Intelligence and promoting diversity in science through his own lived experience.
The first Trevisan Prize ceremony and lectures will take place at Bocconi University on January 26, 2026, the day before the start of the 16th Innovations in Theoretical Computer Science (ITCS) Conference, which will be hosted at Bocconi from January 27 to 30, 2026.