News

A small team led by Sihao Cheng, Martin A. and Helen Chooljian Member in the School of Natural Sciences, has discovered an extraordinary trans-Neptunian object (TNO) at the edge of our solar system. The TNO is potentially large enough to qualify as a dwarf planet, the same category as the much more well-known Pluto. The discovery has significant implications for our understanding of the Kuiper Belt and hypotheses that surround the existence of Planet Nine.

Michael Harris, AMIAS Member (1983–84, 2011) in the School of Mathematics; Brigitte Bedos-Rezak, Member (1996–97) in the School of Historical Studies; and Valerie Ann Smith, Visitor (2005–06) in the School, have been honored with election to the American Philosophical Society this year.

Robbert Dijkgraaf, who served as IAS Director and Leon Levy Professor from 2012–22, has been elected as a fellow of the Royal Society, alongside Shivaji Sondhi, Member (1998) in the School of Natural Sciences, and Jacob Tsimerman, incoming Distinguished Visiting Professor (2025–26) in the School of Mathematics. 

In an article for TIME Magazine, Alondra Nelson, Harold F. Linder Professor in the School of Social Science, has announced her resignation from the National Science Board and the Library of Congress Scholars Council. Nelson, who was appointed to the National Science Board in 2024 and the Scholars Council in 2023, outlined the factors behind her decision.

Samson Shatashvili, Member (1992–94) in the School of Natural Sciences, has been awarded the 2025 Dannie Heineman Prize for Mathematical Physics by the American Institute of Physics (AIP) and American Physical Society (APS) for his “clever use of various techniques in studying symmetry in quantum field theory.”

Lorenz Eberhardt, Marvin L. Goldberger Member (2019–23) in the School of Natural Sciences, has been awarded the European Physical Society's 2025 Gribov Medal. Eberhardt's work was described as combining "profound physical insight, technical virtuosity, and mathematical rigor."

Edward Witten, Professor Emeritus in the School of Natural Sciences, has been announced as an honorary fellow of the Learned Society of Wales, a distinction conferred upon select notable individuals for their "expertise and experience, and their research and knowledge leadership." Witten was recognized for his "profound contributions to contemporary physics." 

Francesca Trivellato, Andrew W. Mellon Professor in the School of Historical Studies, has been elected as a member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences, joining nearly 250 honorees recognized for their expertise and leadership. A number of other Institute-affiliated scholars, representing all four IAS Schools, were also elected.

Two Members from the School of Social Science, Heba Gowayed (2022–23) and Peniel Emmaus Joseph (2025–26), have been named to the 2025 Class of Andrew Carnegie Fellows. This year's fellows will conduct research "that seeks to understand how and why our society has become so polarized and how we can strengthen the forces of cohesion to fortify our democracy."

Nine past and incoming scholars across three IAS Schools—Historical Studies, Mathematics, and Social Science—have received 2025 Guggenheim Fellowships. The scholars were recognized for "both prior career achievement and exceptional promise" in fields ranging from classical archaeology and U.S. history to graph theory and combinatorics.