Nineteen Princeton affiliates named 2026 Guggenheim Fellows

Nineteen Princeton affiliates were awarded 2026 Guggenheim Fellowships, a mid-career grant celebrating “writers, scholars, scientists, and artists in over 50 different fields of study across the fine arts, social sciences, humanities, and natural sciences.” 

The Guggenheim Fellowship was established in 1925, with this year’s fellows marking the 101st class of the program. There are a total of 223 fellows this year, selected from a pool of nearly 5,000 applicants.

This year’s cohort includes eight current Princeton faculty members and eleven undergraduate and graduate alumni.

This is an increase from last year, when 15 Princeton affiliates received the fellowship, compared to 11 in 2024, and eight in 2023.

Bridgett vonHoldt, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology, received the fellowship for her work in conservation genomics, namely her research on the critically endangered red wolf. She expressed the importance of the award to her personally and the broader field of conservation.

“For me, being named a Guggenheim Fellow is both a profound personal honor and a powerful validation of my scientific vision and commitment to the conservation of endangered species,” vonHoldt wrote in a statement to The Daily Princetonian. She added that the grant “validates endangered species conservation itself as a frontier of intellectual and societal value, at the highest levels of scholarly recognition.”

This sentiment of institutional pride was shared by Matias Cattaneo, a professor of operations research and financial engineering, who received a fellowship for his work in data science. In a statement to the ‘Prince,’ Cattaneo highlighted the “growing importance of data science as a broad intellectual enterprise” and credited Princeton’s “stimulating and collaborative environment” for fostering his cross-disciplinary work.

Some recipients noted the weight of receiving such recognition in the current academic landscape. Kristina Olson, professor of psychology, noted that she and her team feel “incredibly fortunate” to have the support of the Guggenheim Foundation.

“My research team and I are incredibly fortunate to have the support of Princeton — an institution that continues to fight for intellectual freedom and for higher education — and the Guggenheim Foundation at a time when we are experiencing dwindling government support for the American research enterprise and social science research, in particular,” Olson wrote to the ‘Prince.’ 

“I hope this award can serve as an acknowledgement of the work not only by me and my team, but by my entire field,” she continued. 

Christopher Harris, professor of visual arts, won the fellowship for his work in film and video and expressed that he was “deeply honored” by the recognition in a statement to the ‘Prince.’ Harris’ work often explores experimental themes and African American historiography by drawing on archival material.

“Receiving this fellowship in my second year at Princeton is especially gratifying given the level of support for my work the university has demonstrated,” Harris added. “The Guggenheim Fellowship is another indication of the value of a supportive community such as the one I have found here at Princeton.”

Additionally, Alexander Ploss, a professor of molecular biology, was awarded a Guggenheim fellowship underwritten by the Eleanor Schwartz Charitable Foundation. He highlighted that Princeton is “an absolutely remarkable place to do science and tackle some of the hardest questions in biology.” 

“The generous support will allow us to continue pushing the next frontier in infectious disease biology,” he wrote in a statement to the ‘Prince.’ 

Silas Riener ’06, a dance program faculty member, was recognized for choreography. Nathan Arrington ’02, a professor of art and archaeology and Hellenic Studies, was awarded for his work in fine arts research. Former member of the School of Historical Studies at the Institute of Advanced Study (IAS) Jamie Kreiner GS ’11 and newly elected member of the IAS Sarah McNamer were also awarded fellowships. 

Several Princeton alumni also received the Guggenheim Fellowship this year, including Scott Redford ’78, John Wood Sweet GS ’95, W. Anthony Sheppard GS ’96, Alan Baker GS ’99, Sang-Heon Dan Shim GS ’01, Faith Hillis ’02, Erik Linstrum ’06, Zubin Jacob GS ’07, Mina Cikara GS ’10, and Aaron Pollack GS ’14. 

The John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation has awarded nearly $450 million in fellowships since its establishment in 1925. As Foundation President Edward Hirsch noted in the announcement, the new class represents “the world’s best thinkers” who remain “undaunted by the challenges ahead.”

Nika Schindler is the assistant News editor for the ‘Prince’ leading university operations coverage. She is from Atherton, Calif., and can be reached at ns1295[at]princeton.edu.

Nico David-Fox contributed reporting.

Please send any corrections to corrections[at]dailyprincetonian.com.

A correction was made April 17, 2026: A previous version of this article stated that eight Princeton faculty members and lecturers won fellowships, which incorrectly suggested that lecturers are not faculty members. The article has been updated to remove the specific reference to lecturers. The ‘Prince’ regrets this error.