Ángel F. Adames Corraliza and Sébastien Philippe joined seven University of Wisconsin-Madison professors since 1981 to receive an $800,000 “no-strings-attached” genius award from the philanthropic MacArthur Foundation.
Twenty-two fellows nationwide received the 2025 “genius grant” in areas such as climate change, global security, social justice and community development.
Recipients are selected based on exceptional creativity, promise for future advances and potential to facilitate creative work through the fellowship. The foundation said the awards are designed to support people, not projects.
Adames Corraliza chairs the Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences Department’s Climatology division. He studies tropical weather patterns and phenomena using the physics of atmospheric waves with analysis of observational data and climate model simulations, saying the ability to predict and understand these patterns can ultimately save lives.
Adames Corraliza told The Daily Cardinal he is considering supporting projects without funding, such as studying tropical cyclone formation and rainbands and how clouds interact with the tropical environment. He’s also thinking of writing a textbook with Larissa Beck or creating a popular science book on the history and modern science of tropical climate.
He said the recognition “means everything,” especially as a Latino scientist who wants to “educate the public and improve their wellbeing.” He said that despite living in a time where performing climate research is challenging, “The MacArthur Foundation sees me, sees my work and my people, and what they see is work worth celebrating.”
Phillipe is an assistant professor in the Department of Nuclear Engineering and Engineering Physics and is a former French Ministry of Defense nuclear security expert. His work combines technical and policy analysis to inform understanding of nuclear risks and support evidence-based solutions. He was appointed to the newly-established United Nations scientific panel on the Effects of Nuclear War in July 2025.
Phillipe told the Cardinal it is an “incredible honor” to be named a MacArthur Fellow, saying the fellowship is a “remarkable gift” supporting creativity and providing research freedom. He added it’s exciting to follow in the footsteps of scientists working on nuclear arms control who have received the award.
UW-Madison Chancellor Jennifer L. Mnookin said Adames Corraliza and Phillipe are “powerful examples of the kind of creative thinkers that make UW-Madison such a rich and creative research environment and wonderful additions to our university’s proud tradition of winners of this prestigious fellowship.”
