Former Junior Fellow Kareem El-Badry wins MacArthur "genius" grant
Astrophysicist and former JF Kareem El-Badry (2021 - 2023) is one of 22 MacArthur Fellows selected in 2025. The MacArthur Fellowship, colloquially known as the "genius grant," is a $800,000, no-strings-attached grant for individuals who have shown exceptional creativity in their work and the promise to do more.
Kareem El-Badry is an astrophysicist investigating how stars form, evolve, and interact. El-Badry leverages astronomical datasets and theoretical modeling to investigate binary star systems, black holes, neutron stars, and other stellar bodies. His ability to extract insights from the enormous amounts of data gathered in space observation missions has led to many discoveries—from overlooked dormant black holes in our galaxy to new classes of stars and coupled systems.
Read more about Kareem's award-winning work here.
Photo credit: John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation