Rabat – Moroccan professor Anasse Bari has received the Dr. Martin Luther King. Jr. Faculty Award for 2025 at New York University (NYU).
The award recognizes faculty members whose work demonstrates leadership and commitment to justice and fairness, all values that the American civil rights icon Martin Luther King Jr. promoted.
Speaking to Morocco World News, Bari expressed his pride in receiving the award. “I dedicate this award to my fellow Moroccans,” he said.
According to NYU’s website, the award is given to professors whose research and work contribute to positive social change.
“The Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Faculty Award recognizes outstanding faculty who exemplify the spirit of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.’s scholarship, life, and justice work and who promote the principles and ethos of Dr. King’s extensive global contributions in their research, teaching, leadership, and/or community-building efforts,” the university said.
It added that the process of selecting the faculty awardees involves significant student involvement. This includes students taking part in various stages such as award development, nomination, selection, and recognition.
This means that students play a role in identifying and honoring faculty members who have made a meaningful impact within the classroom, on student research, co-curricular activities, and broader community engagement.
Professor Bari, who leads NYU’s Predictive Analytics and AI Research Lab, has been involved in developing AI tools for healthcare, climate change, misinformation, and pandemic preparedness.
During an award ceremony on Wednesday, Bari said this recognition highlights the importance of working to serve communities while holding onto values of fairness and justice.
The Moroccan professor teaches over 700 students annually, with focus on ethical AI and mentoring research projects that apply AI to solve social issues.
“Every day in my classroom, I encourage my students to use the skills they have learned at New York University to serve the world,” Bari said, noting that his students are finding “new ways” to use AI and data science to improve the world.
He explained that his students are using AI to combat misinformation, create automated tutoring tools, assist doctors in pandemic prevention, develop cleaner energy sources, and build “ethical, fair, and privacy-preserving” AI solutions.
“The remarkable work of our NYU students embodies the spirit of service and justice that Dr. King envisioned. This award gives me the opportunity to express my gratitude to my students—not only for their incredible contributions but also for the lessons they have taught me,” Professor Bari concluded.
