Seven University of California (UC) faculty and alumni have been named recipients of the 2025 MacArthur Foundation fellowships, commonly known as “genius grants.” The awards, announced this month, recognize individuals whose work has made significant contributions in their respective fields.
The UC-affiliated winners include an astrophysicist, an interdisciplinary artist, an evolutionary biologist, a neurobiologist, a chemical engineer, an artist and filmmaker, and a multidisciplinary artist. Each fellow receives an $800,000 grant with no restrictions on its use.
Since the inception of the MacArthur Fellowship program in 1981, more than 100 UC faculty and alumni have received the honor. In recent years, nearly one in four recipients has been from the UC system.
Kristen Mack, vice president of communications at the MacArthur Foundation, commented on this year’s group: “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 seven UC-affiliated 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 said about receiving the award: “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 help those with vision loss regain sight by understanding retinal cell function.
– Kareem El-Badry, an astrophysicist and UC Berkeley alumnus, now an assistant professor at Caltech. His research focuses on binary star systems, black holes, and galaxy evolution. El-Badry stated: “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.”
– William Tarpeh, a chemical engineer and UC Berkeley alumnus who is now at Stanford University. He develops sustainable methods for recovering valuable chemicals from wastewater. Tarpeh said: “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 who graduated from UCLA. Bradley’s work blends documentary, narrative, and experimental cinema to explore themes such as justice and public memory. She said about her collaborative process: “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.”
– Gala Porras-Kim, an interdisciplinary artist with two degrees from UCLA. Her installations examine how cultural artifacts in museums tell stories about their creators and users. Porras-Kim said: “To me, it’s always been more interesting to look at the framing of historical material than the objects themselves.” Kevin Terraciano, professor at UCLA, recalled her unique thesis project involving Zapotec whistling as nonverbal communication.
– Toby Kiers, an evolutionary biologist who graduated from UC Davis. Kiers investigates symbiotic relationships among plants, fungi, and microbes, highlighting their role in ecosystem health. She has received recognition as a Time100 Next Emerging Leader and delivered a TED Talk viewed over two million times.
– Tuan Andrew Nguyen, a multidisciplinary artist and UC Irvine alumnus. Nguyen’s films and sculptures address histories of war, displacement, resistance, and resilience across various countries. Kevin Appel, chair of the UC Irvine Department of Art, said: “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 seven join a distinguished group of previous UC-affiliated MacArthur Fellows. The awards highlight the ongoing impact that members of the University of California community have across diverse disciplines.
