Awards

Martti Nissinen, Member (2008–09, 2016) and Visitor (2011) in the School of Historical Studies, has received the honorary title of Academician of Science, the highest honor that can be bestowed on any individual scholar in Finland. His work has "significantly enhanced our understanding of how biblical texts were formed," placing them within the broader context of the ancient Near East. 

In recognition of her "extraordinarily wide-ranging, original, and dynamic scholarship" that demonstrates "the multifaceted cultural contexts in which theology developed in the Islamicate world," the Hebrew University of Jerusalem has presented Sabine Schmidtke, Professor in the School of Historical Studies, with an honorary doctorate.

Charles Simonyi, Chair Emeritus of the Institute’s Board of Trustees, has been awarded a John von Neumann Professorship by the Budapest University of Technology and Economics (BME). Simonyi's receipt of this honor carries special resonance at IAS, where John von Neumann served as one of the founding Professors in the School of Mathematics.

Three School of Natural Sciences scholars have been elected as 2026 Fellows of the American Physical Society (APS). Chuanfei Dong, IBM Einstein Fellow (2026); Xiaoliang Qi, Junior Visiting Professor (2017–18) and Member (2025); and Sukanya Chakrabarti, Member (2020–21) and Visitor (2004), were recognized for work spanning from astrophysics to condensed matter physics.

Alondra Nelson, Harold F. Linder Professor in the School of Social Science, has been named by Schmidt Sciences as a 2026 AI2050 Senior Fellow. The fellowship will support Nelson's critical research into how individuals and households navigate multiple AI systems simultaneously across school, work, healthcare, and finance.

David Nirenberg, IAS Director and Leon Levy Professor, has been awarded a 2026 Balzan Prize, recognizing his work in the field of Jewish Studies. The award celebrates groundbreaking scholarship that contributes “to the understanding of our world and our time” and promotes “the advancement of knowledge without borders.”

David Nirenberg, IAS Director and Leon Levy Professor, has been awarded a 2026 Balzan Prize, recognizing his work in the field of Jewish Studies. The award celebrates groundbreaking scholarship that contributes “to the understanding of our world and our time” and promotes “the advancement of knowledge without borders.”

All three recipients of the 2026 International Congress of Basic Science (ICBS) Medal in Mathematics have links to the Institute’s School of Mathematics: Claire Voisin, Distinguished Visiting Professor (2014–15); frequent IAS scholar Horng-Tzer Yau; and Shou-Wu Zhang, Member (1991–92). Xiao-Gang Wen, Member (1990–91) and IBM Einstein Fellow (2022–23) in the School of Natural Sciences, was also recognized with a Physics Medal.

Wendy Brown, Professor Emerita in the School of Social Science; Shatema Threadcraft, Ralph E. and Doris M. Hansmann Member (2017–18) in the School; and Peter J. Katzenstein, Member (2009–10) in the School, were recently announced as American Political Science Association (APSA) award winners.

A recent article in Town Topics highlights a common bond between three of the four Fields Medal winners announced at the 2026 International Congress of Mathematicians: ties to IAS. Drawing on an interview with Director and Leon Levy Professor David Nirenberg, the article goes on to emphasize the unparalleled research conditions at IAS that foster this level of excellence.