Ten former IAS scholars—and one who will join the Institute in the fall—have been elected to the National Academy of Sciences (NAS). The Schools of Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Social Science are represented in the 2026 cohort. Announced each spring, NAS membership represents a unique honor in recognition of original research.
Among the 252 new members elected to the American Academy of Arts & Sciences this spring are thirteen scholars with connections to IAS. All four Schools are represented in this year’s cohort, described by the Academy as “leaders in academia, the arts, industry, journalism, philanthropy, policy, research, and science.”
It is anticipated that the Eiffel Tower will be engraved this year with the names of 72 women scientists—including three former School of Mathematics scholars. Cécile DeWitt-Morette, Member (1948–50); her friend and coauthor Yvonne Choquet-Bruhat, Member (1951–52, 1955); and Jacqueline Ferrand, Member (1956) are set to be recognized for their landmark work.
Thirteen IAS scholars have been named among the 2026 Breakthrough Prize Foundation laureates, recognizing research that significantly drives human knowledge. The honorees were described as having "constructed theories of the fundamental forces of nature and probed them to mind-blowing precision," as well as revealing "deep truths about the mathematical behavior of waves."
Seven former and three incoming Institute scholars have been appointed as 2026 Guggenheim Fellows. The consistent overlap between Guggenheim Fellows and IAS scholars is a testament to a shared commitment to truly boundary-pushing research.
This fall, astrophysicist James Beattie will begin his Membership in the Institute's School of Natural Sciences as a NASA Hubble Fellow. Through his work, Beattie aims to uncover the universal laws that govern how energy and magnetic fields evolve in turbulent astrophysical plasmas.
A recent article in Science has highlighted a preprint publication authored by three IAS scholars from the School of Natural Sciences, including Roger Dashen Member Alfredo Guevara. Using ChatGPT-5.2 Pro, the scholars showed that a gluon-scattering interaction widely assumed to be impossible may actually occur.
Stephen L. Adler, Professor Emeritus in the School of Natural Sciences, reflects on the life and legacy of Chen Ning Yang, Professor (1955–66) in the School of Mathematics/Natural Sciences, who passed away in 2025. Adler traces Yang's landmark contributions, emphasizing how these ideas helped shape today’s Standard Model.
