Five faculty members from the University of California Los Angeles were named recipients of the 2026 Guggenheim Fellowships, according to an announcement on Apr. 14 by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. The new fellows are among a group of 223 scholars, scientists, and creative professionals from across the United States and Canada selected out of nearly 5,000 applicants.
The fellowships are recognized as prestigious awards that honor exceptional achievement in a wide range of disciplines. Recipients receive monetary stipends to independently pursue their research or creative work. This recognition highlights both individual accomplishment and institutional excellence at UCLA, which has been associated with Nobel laureates and MacArthur Fellows according to the official website.
The five UCLA awardees for this year are Richard L. Hasen (law and political science), Jamie Kreiner (history), Heather Maynard (chemistry and biochemistry), Sean Metzger (theater), and Kay Kyurim Rhie (composition). Their work spans law, chemistry, medieval studies, music composition, theater, visual culture, Asian American studies, performance arts, cognitive science applications in history, polymer therapeutics for diseases, precision medicine materials development, global aesthetics in fashion and performance art studies as well as innovative musical compositions blending different traditions.
Edward Hirsch, president of the Guggenheim Foundation said: “Our new class of Guggenheim Fellows is representative of the world’s best thinkers, innovators and creators in art, science and scholarship. As the foundation enters its second century and looks to the future I feel confident that this new class of 223 individuals will do bold and inspiring work undaunted by the challenges ahead. We are honored to support their visionary contributions.”
UCLA is known for its history of excellence in scholarship as well as achievements in arts and athletics according to its official website. The university fosters diverse perspectives through academic programs on its 419-acre campus within the University of California system according to information provided by UCLA.
The selection underscores ongoing recognition for institutions like UCLA that support research across many fields while encouraging innovation through inclusive environments as described by university sources.