Buffalo Professor Awarded MacArthur Fellowship

Holly Jean Buck, an associate professor at the University at Buffalo, is among the 20 recipients of the 2026 award.

Updated on Oct. 12, 2026 in Environmental

Buffalo Professor Awarded MacArthur Fellowship

Holly Jean Buck, an associate professor in the Department of Environment and Sustainability at the University at Buffalo, has been named a 2026 MacArthur Fellow. She is one of 20 recipients of this year's award, which grants each winner $800,000 in unrestricted funding.

Why it matters

The MacArthur Fellowship is awarded to individuals showing exceptional creativity and promise in their fields. The program utilizes a confidential nomination system rather than an application process, identifying leaders across various disciplines for their potential to make significant future contributions.

The fellowship provides an unrestricted $800,000 award to each of the 20 recipients selected in 2026. This funding is designed to support the continued work of innovators chosen through a confidential nomination process.

The players

Holly Jean Buck

She is an associate professor in the Department of Environment and Sustainability at the University at Buffalo.

University at Buffalo

This is the public research institution where Holly Jean Buck serves as a faculty member.

Cornell University

This private Ivy League research university is where Buck earned her doctoral degree.

Manuel Munoz

He is a past recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship recognized for his creative work in 2023.

Ling Ma

She is an author and past recipient of the MacArthur Fellowship who was awarded the honor in 2024.

The details

Buck, who earned her Ph.D. from Cornell University in 2017, is recognized for her academic work in the Department of Environment and Sustainability. She plans to utilize the fellowship funds to devote time to writing a new book, building on her previous publications including 2019's After Geoengineering and 2021's Ending Fossil Fuels.

2017: Holly Jean Buck earned a Ph.D. from Cornell.
2019: Holly Jean Buck published After Geoengineering.
2021: Holly Jean Buck published Ending Fossil Fuels.
2023: Manuel Munoz received a MacArthur Fellowship.
2024: Ling Ma received a MacArthur Fellowship.

The Big Picture

The MacArthur Fellowship continues to highlight scholars who address pressing global challenges through interdisciplinary research. By recognizing Buck's work, the program reinforces the importance of academic inquiry into the complex transitions required to phase out fossil fuel reliance.

Buck's research into geoengineering and fossil fuel phase-outs offers potential frameworks for local and national climate policy development. The grant will enable further academic progress that may eventually influence public understanding of sustainable energy transitions.

The takeaway

The MacArthur Fellowship serves as a significant endorsement of scholarly work aimed at solving urgent environmental problems. Readers interested in climate research can look forward to upcoming academic contributions resulting from the expanded capacity this funding provides.