In Short:
Three MIT faculty members, Roger Levy, Tracy Slatyer, and Martin Wainwright, are awarded prestigious fellowships from the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation for their prior achievements and potential. Each fellow receives funding to pursue independent work. The foundation has awarded over $400 million in fellowships since 1925. The MIT professors were recognized for their work in neuroscience, physics, and data science. This fellowship is considered a life-changing recognition.
MIT Professors Recognized with 2024 Guggenheim Fellowships
MIT faculty members Roger Levy, Tracy Slatyer, and Martin Wainwright have been honored as part of the 2024 cohort of fellows selected by the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation. Out of nearly 3,000 applicants across 52 disciplines, 188 individuals were chosen based on their prior career achievements and exceptional promise.
Monetary Stipend for Independent Work
Each fellow will receive a monetary stipend from the Foundation to pursue independent work at the highest level. With a history dating back to 1925, the Guggenheim Foundation has awarded over $400 million to more than 19,000 fellows. This year, MIT professors were acknowledged in the categories of neuroscience, physics, and data science.
Impactful Work of MIT Professors
Professor Roger Levy from the Department of Brain and Cognitive Sciences combines computational modeling with psycholinguistic experimentation to enhance our understanding of language processing and develop algorithms for machines to process human language effectively. He has received notable accolades, such as the Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship and NSF Faculty Early Career Development Award.
Professor Tracy Slatyer from the Department of Physics and various research centers within MIT has made significant contributions to the study of dark matter, including co-discovery of the “Fermi Bubbles.” Her work has earned her accolades like the New Horizons in Physics Prize and recognition as a Simons Investigator.
Professor Martin Wainwright, the Cecil H. Green Professor in Electrical Engineering and Computer Science, focuses on statistics, machine learning, information theory, and optimization. He has been honored with several awards, including the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation Fellowship and COPSS Presidents’ Award.
Recognition of Cultural Visionaries
According to Edward Hirsch, president of the Foundation, the Guggenheim Fellowship is a life-changing recognition that invests in the lives and careers of esteemed artists, scholars, scientists, writers, and cultural visionaries who are actively addressing humanity’s existential challenges.
