Overview
- Each fellow will receive an unrestricted $800,000 stipend paid over five years.
- Fellows are selected through a confidential, peer-driven nomination and vetting process, and nominees do not apply.
- The 2025 class ranges from scientists to artists, including Tonika Lewis Johnson, Matt Black, Garrett Bradley, Gala Porras-Kim, Tommy Orange, and Jason McLellan.
- Coverage notes strong academic representation, with reports counting 12 fellows in formal academic positions and 14 with university affiliations.
- Chicago photographer Tonika Lewis Johnson is the only Illinois honoree and says she will use the first installment to buy a new camera and computer.