Overview

• Each fellow receives $800,000 paid in annual installments over five years with no spending restrictions.
• Fellows are chosen through a confidential process using invited external nominators, and candidates do not apply.
• The 2025 cohort spans fields from atmospheric science and epidemiology to literature and film, including Hahrie Han, Tommy Orange and Matt Black.
• Program director Marlies Carruth says this year’s selections foreground empathy and deep engagement with communities.
• Chicago artist Tonika Lewis Johnson is the only Illinois honoree and plans to buy new equipment, while recipients such as Nabarun Dasgupta and Ángel F. Adames Corraliza described surprise calls and how the support will sustain challenging work.