Ravi Vakil

For being at the forefront of modern algebraic geometry by leading a study of the moduli space of curves, to deepen a growing understanding of the "universal facts" of these objects. This is adding much to core mathematics theory as well as applications such as String Theory and physics. He has established significant educational outreach to Bay-Area groups devoted to stimulating mathematics learning among high-school students, and he has established a journal introducing high-school students to mathematics through hands-on problem solving.