The University of Chicago announced that three of its scholars, along with several alumni, have been awarded the 2025 Guggenheim Fellowships. The recipients include Prof. Theaster Gates, Lecturer Richie Hofmann, and Prof. Marcus Kronforst, who have been selected among 198 individuals from a pool of nearly 3,500 applicants. Established in 1925 by Senator Simon Guggenheim, the fellowship provides a monetary stipend enabling recipients to pursue their work under "the freest possible conditions."
The Guggenheim Foundation celebrated its 100th class of fellows as part of its centennial celebration, highlighting the foundation's impact on American intellectual and cultural life. Edward Hirsch, president of the foundation, emphasized, "At a time when intellectual life is under attack, the Guggenheim Fellowship celebrates a century of support for the lives and work of visionary scientists, scholars, writers, and artists.”
Prof. Theaster Gates, an artist and professor in the Department of Visual Arts at UChicago, will use his fellowship to study Japanese ceramic craft traditions. Gates, who founded the Rebuild Foundation, is known for transforming vacant spaces in Chicago into active artistic sites. He stated, "Studying the craft traditions that shaped me, both at home and abroad, always gives me tremendous joy."
Richie Hofmann, a poet and lecturer in the Humanities Collegiate Division, plans to use the fellowship to conduct research for his upcoming project. Hofmann, known for poems that explore themes such as beauty and desire, expressed deep honor for the award and intends to work on new poems inspired by French writer Hervé Guibert.
Prof. Marcus Kronforst, specializing in ecology and evolution, will pursue research in Australia on polymorphism in butterflies with the help of the fellowship. Kronforst highlighted, "This fellowship...will help me finally tackle a project that my lab and I have been thinking about for many years."
The fellowships also recognize several UChicago alumni, including composers Tomás Gueglio and Krzysztof Wołek, author and theater scholar Rachel Shteir, and documentary photographer Nina Berman.
The recognition of UChicago scholars and alumni as Guggenheim Fellows underscores the continuing impact of the university's community in various fields of art, science, and humanities.