Katharina Pistor, the Michael I. Sovern Professor of Law at Columbia Law School, has been selected to receive the 2012 Max Planck Research Award, from the Max Planck Society and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation. The prize comes with a cash prize of 750,000 euros.
Professor Pistor will use the funds to continue her research on the impact of financial regulatory efforts in various countries on the global financial system. She wants to identify the most vulnerable points in the global financial system so authorities can take action before another major crisis occurs.
Professor Pistor, who is a native of Germany, has taught at Columbia since 2001. She holds a master of laws degree from the University of London and a juris doctorate from the University of Munich. She also earned a master of public administration degree at Harvard University.