Two climate experts awarded prestigious MacArthur ‘Genius Grants’

Two climate scientists are among the 22 recipients of the MacArthur Fellowship of 2025, alternatively referred to as the "genius grant.”

The award, stipulated by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, grants each recipient a stipend of $800,000 without any strings attached to facilitate their breakthrough work.

The winners are Angel Adames-Corraliza, an atmospheric scientist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and Kristina Douglass, an archaeologist with the Climate School at Columbia University.

Their choice underscores the urgent need to conduct climate studies as environmental issues increasingly become a concern.

Adames-Corraliza was 37, and he has been recognised as a pioneer in the study of tropical weather systems.

His work has unravelled the complicated interaction of moisture and clouds with large-scale climate cycles, enhancing our understanding of monsoons and hurricanes.

He spoke of his research as a complex two-way street interaction between how the environment dictates the clouds and how the clouds dictate the environment.

His notification for the award came with a touch of drama. The foundation tricked him into taking a call by requesting a work consultation.

“They called and said, “Just kidding, we're giving you the MacArthur grant,” Adames-Corraliza recalled. “Honestly, my brain just melted.”

In the meantime, archaeological research by Kristina Douglass in Madagascar follows the extensive history of human adaptation to climatic change, providing invaluable insights for the present.

The MacArthur fellowship is highly prestigious, as individuals cannot apply; they are nominated anonymously and chosen by a secret committee. It is a massive financial reward that gives the recipients the liberty to be as creative and ambitious as they wish without any limitations.