Seven University of California faculty and alumni have been named among the 22 recipients of the 2025 MacArthur Foundation fellowships, also known as “genius grants.” The fellowships recognize individuals whose work has made significant contributions to their fields and to society.
The 2025 MacArthur fellows from the University of California include an astrophysicist, an interdisciplinary artist, and an evolutionary biologist, among others. These awards add to a history of more than 100 UC alumni and faculty who have received MacArthur Fellowships since the program began in 1981. Each fellow receives an $800,000 grant to support their work, with no restrictions on its use. Since 2020, nearly one in four MacArthur fellows have been UC alumni or faculty.
Kristen Mack, vice president of communications at the MacArthur Foundation, commented on the new fellows: “The 2025 MacArthur Fellows expand the boundaries of knowledge, artistry, and human understanding. They focus our attention on microbial worlds and distant stars, community vitality and timeless traditions, sacred and improvisational music, and shared histories of our time on Earth. With virtuosity, persistence, and courage, they chart new paths toward collaborative, creative, and flourishing futures.”
The UC-affiliated 2025 MacArthur fellows are:
– Teresa Puthussery, a neurobiologist and optometrist at UC Berkeley, recognized for her research into how neural circuits in the retina encode visual information. Puthussery described her reaction to receiving the fellowship: “It wasn’t until they started reading out a description of my work that I was convinced that they had called the right person. It’s certainly just really unexpected, and so humbling and gratifying.” Her work aims to better understand vision loss and potentially help those affected regain sight.
– Kareem El-Badry, a UC Berkeley alumnus and assistant professor at Caltech, is known for his research on binary star systems and black holes. El-Badry said: “I appreciate that both awards [Sloan and MacArthur] come with minimal restrictions, giving me the opportunity to explore new or potentially risky projects that would be harder to get funded through a federal grant. At all stages in a research career, I think it’s important to look for opportunities to branch out and try something new.” His work uses computational models to advance understanding of galaxy formation and stellar evolution.
– William Tarpeh, a UC Berkeley engineering alumnus and assistant professor at Stanford University, focuses on sustainable methods to recover resources from wastewater. Tarpeh stated: “I am honored to be included in the MacArthur community of leaders committed to understanding and improving our world. This award is a testament to my community — the students and postdocs who took a chance on a new lab with a unique mission, my mentors who sharpened my skills, my colleagues who inspire me with creativity and dedication, and my family and friends for their endless support. I am excited to continue the work of redefining wastewater and creating circular, sustainable methods for improving quality of life while protecting the environment for generations to come.”
– Garrett Bradley, an artist and filmmaker and UCLA alumna, has been recognized for her innovative approach to filmmaking. Bradley said: “I’m not just entering somebody’s life, and I don’t see them as subjects. I get to know people, and I let them get to know me.” Her work explores justice, public memory, and cultural visibility through a blend of documentary and experimental cinema.
– Gala Porras-Kim, an interdisciplinary artist and two-time UCLA alumna, creates installations that highlight the stories behind cultural artifacts. She said: “To me, it’s always been more interesting to look at the framing of historical material than the objects themselves.” Her work examines how artifacts are separated from their original contexts and how their stories are told.
– Toby Kiers, an evolutionary biologist and UC Davis alumna, investigates symbiotic relationships among plants, fungi, and microbes. Kiers explained her perspective: “I really do think that there’s a lot to be learned from the way that they build infrastructures … for developing [our] supply chains above ground,” referencing how plant-microbe interactions can inform broader ecological understanding.
– Tuan Andrew Nguyen, a multidisciplinary artist and UC Irvine alumnus, was recognized for his films and sculptures addressing histories of war, displacement, resistance, and resilience. Kevin Appel, chair of the UC Irvine Department of Art, commented: “Tuan’s work embodies the spirit of critical imagination that defines our department, weaving together art history and activism into profoundly moving narratives. His commitment to storytelling as a form of repair and resistance has inspired so many of our students and colleagues. This recognition is deeply deserved.”
These fellows represent a range of disciplines and reflect the University of California’s ongoing impact in academia and the arts.
