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8 January 2026
AAS Names 23 New Fellows for 2026
PRESS RELEASE
** Contact details appear below. **
The American Astronomical Society (AAS), a major international organization of professional astronomers, astronomy educators, and amateur astronomers, is honoring 23 members for extraordinary achievement and service by naming them AAS Fellows — an honor bestowed on less than 0.5% of AAS’s membership each year. They are being recognized for original research and publications, innovative contributions to astronomical techniques or instrumentation, significant contributions to education and public outreach, and noteworthy service to astronomy and to the Society itself. Fellows receive a certificate and a lapel pin.
AAS Fellows Class of 2026
- Michael Blanton (Carnegie Science Observatories): For foundational contributions to our understanding of the formation, evolution, and large-scale structure of galaxies; for scientific leadership in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey that has transformed astronomical data accessibility; and for his sustained commitment to mentorship and the scientific community.
- Greg Bryan (Columbia University): For revolutionary contributions in computational cosmology via introduction of the adaptive mesh refinement technique in hydrodynamic simulations, and for advocacy of the open-source software movement.
- Adam Burgasser (University of California, San Diego): For foundational contributions to our understanding of the nature of the lowest-mass stars, brown dwarfs, and exoplanet host stars using space and ground-based facilities; for longstanding commitment to diversity and inclusion; and for extensive leadership roles in the astronomy community.
- Geoffrey Clayton (Louisiana State University): For significant contributions to the study of dust in circumstellar, interstellar and extragalactic environments; and for many years of committed service to the American Astronomical Society.
- Martin Elvis (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian): For outstanding contributions to multi-wavelength observations and the physical understanding of active galactic nuclei, especially pioneering studies at high energies; for leadership roles in collaborations and service to the astronomical community; and for extensive work in outreach, science advocacy, and public policy.
- Claude-André Faucher-Giguère (Northwestern University): For significant contributions to a wide range of topics in cosmological hydrodynamics and theoretical galaxy formation, including the circumgalactic medium, black hole feedback, and numerical models of star formation and stellar feedback.
- Bryan Gaensler (University of California, Santa Cruz): For fundamental contributions to cosmic magnetic fields, time-domain astronomy, pulsar winds, and the structure of the Milky Way; for outstanding leadership of scientific collaborations and organizations; and for numerous service contributions to the astronomy community.
- Kathryn Johnston (Columbia University): For groundbreaking studies in galactic dynamics revealing the history of the Milky Way's assembly and the nature of the dark matter halo in which it is embedded, and for outstanding mentorship and service to the community.
- Lisa Kewley (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian): For groundbreaking contributions to the understanding of galaxy evolution, including the intricate gas physics governing stellar birth and the behavior of accreting supermassive black holes; and for transformative strategic vision and leadership.
- Christopher Kochanek (The Ohio State University): For significantly advancing our understanding of the universe through innovative research spanning tidal disruption of stars, gravitational lensing and its applications, galaxy evolution, the structure of quasar accretion flows, massive star evolution and black hole formation, and time-domain astronomy.
- Karen Leighly (University of Oklahoma): For innovative in-depth studies of the physical conditions in active galactic nuclei, including the development of models to constrain their physical parameters.
- Mordecai-Mark Mac Low (American Museum of Natural History): For high-impact contributions to our understanding of the formation of planets, stars, and binary black holes; of the structure of the interstellar medium; and of galactic evolution using computational astrophysics; and for significant service to public outreach and the astronomical community.
- Steven Majewski (University of Virginia): For impactful contributions to our understanding of the structure and formation of the Milky Way; for innovative leadership in near-infrared instrumentation and large-scale astronomical surveys; and for persistent commitment to training of the next generation of astronomers.
- Daniel Marrone (University of Arizona): For significant contributions to modern radio and submillimeter astrophysics through innovative instrumentation, thus enabling transformative scientific discoveries across ground-based observatories, balloon-borne experiments, and space-based missions.
- Michael McCarthy (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian): For his pioneering contributions in high-resolution spectroscopy of highly reactive molecules — including the development of sensitive microwave instrumentation — that have led to significant advances in astrochemistry.
- Michael Meyer (University of Michigan): For significant contributions to infrared instrumentation and the study of the evolution of young stars, planetary systems, and the boundary between gas giant planets and brown dwarfs; and for strong commitment to mentoring scientists at all levels.
- Jon Miller (University of Michigan): For outstanding contributions to the field of high energy astrophysics, including the study of black holes, accretion disks, and the central engines of active galactic nuclei; for leading many ground- and space-based X-ray missions; and for mentorship and numerous services to the astronomical community.
- James Moran (Center for Astrophysics | Harvard & Smithsonian): For pioneering the development of very-long-baseline interferometry and its application to the studies of astrophysical masers, galactic star-forming regions, and black holes; and for earnest service to the radio astronomy community.
- Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz (University of California, Santa Cruz): For foundational contributions to high-energy astrophysics and ground-breaking leadership in transforming the landscape for historically marginalized groups in astronomy.
- Stephen T. Ridgway (NSF's National Optical-Infrared Astronomy Research Laboratory (NOIRLab)): For pioneering work in high angular resolution astronomy, including the development of the first generation of optical/infrared long baseline interferometers; and for decades of service to the astronomy community.
- Alan Stern (Southwest Research Institute): For his leadership in space science and instrumentation to study the outer solar system, culminating in the successful "New Horizons" mission to Pluto and the Kuiper Belt; and for long-term service to the community.
- Jason Tumlinson (Space Telescope Science Institute and Johns Hopkins University): For major contributions to the understanding of the circumgalactic medium, for leadership of major scientific collaborations, and for significant contributions to the development of future space missions.
- Martin White (University of California, Berkeley): For pioneering contributions to our understanding of current cosmology, the cosmic microwave background and baryon acoustic oscillations, clustering redshifts, galaxy structures, and breakthrough techniques in numerical simulations; and for many services to academic mentorship and the astronomy community.
The inaugural class of AAS Fellows was named in 2020; those Legacy Fellows included more than 200 Society members, including past recipients of certain awards from the AAS or its topical Divisions, distinguished AAS elected leaders and volunteer committee members, and previously unrecognized individuals with long histories of outstanding research, teaching, mentoring, and service.
"The ongoing mission of the AAS is to enhance and share humanity's scientific understanding of the universe as a diverse and inclusive community. This 2026 class of Fellows and their collective achievements are key to fulfilling that mission," says AAS President Dara Norman (NSF’s NOIRLab). The 2026 AAS Fellows now represent the seventh class recognized for their personal achievement and extraordinary service to the astronomical sciences and to the AAS.
For more information, see the AAS Fellows page, the AAS Fellows FAQ page, and the inaugural Fellows class press release.
Nominations for the AAS Fellows class of 2027 will open shortly and will be due on 30 June 2026.
Contacts
The American Astronomical Society (AAS), established in 1899, is a major international organization of professional astronomers, astronomy educators, and amateur astronomers. Its membership of approximately 8,000 also includes physicists, geologists, engineers, and others whose interests lie within the broad spectrum of subjects now comprising the astronomical sciences. The mission of the AAS is to enhance and share humanity’s scientific understanding of the universe as a diverse and inclusive astronomical community, which it achieves through publishing, meetings, science advocacy, education and outreach, and training and professional development.