The Hertz Foundation, a nonprofit organization dedicated to empowering the most promising innovators in science and technology, has announced 19 recipients of the 2025 Hertz Fellowships in applied science, engineering and mathematics.
The Hertz Fellowship is one of the most competitive and coveted doctoral fellowship programs in the nation. Hertz Fellows receive five years of funding, offering flexibility from the traditional constraints of graduate training and the independence needed to pursue research that best advances our nation’s security and leads to life-changing innovations.
The 2025 Hertz Fellows are pursuing solutions to some of our most vexing challenges, including developing proprioceptive robotic hands, building collision avoidance systems for satellites, and developing grid-scale renewable energy storage systems. Like all Hertz Fellows since 1963, the newest recipients make a moral obligation to support the United States in times of national emergency.
“Hertz Fellows embody the promise of future scientific breakthroughs, major engineering achievements and thought leadership that is vital to our future,” said Stephen Fantone, chair of the Hertz Foundation board of directors and president and CEO of Optikos Corporation. “The newest recipients will direct research teams, serve in leadership positions in our government and take the helm of major corporations and startups that impact our communities and the world.”
The new fellows will conduct their doctoral research at 12 of the nation’s top research institutions, including fellows at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center and Rockefeller University for the first time. The class also includes the 31st Hertz Fellow to graduate from the United States Military Academy at West Point, continuing an impressive history of Hertz Fellows with distinguished military careers.
In addition to financial support, the 19 new fellows join an influential network of more than 1,300 Hertz Fellows worldwide who are responsible for some of the most significant scientific and technological progress of the past century, from the recent launch of the James Webb Space Telescope to the development of global defense networks and from advanced medical therapies to computational systems that billions of people use every day.
Hertz Fellows also gain access to lifelong programming, such as mentoring, events and networking, which has supported fellows’ efforts to form research collaborations, commercialize technology, and create and invest in early-stage companies together. Fellows also benefit from partnerships with influential organizations in science, technology, national security and philanthropy, such as the Gates Foundation, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, and Innovation Tri-Valley Leadership Group.
“For over 60 years, the Hertz Foundation has invested in the exceptional promise of Hertz Fellows, empowering them to explore, to challenge and to lead,” said Wendy Connors, president of the Hertz Foundation. “We are proud of the 2025 class of Hertz Fellows and committed to providing unwavering support for them throughout their careers.”
Through a rigorous and time-tested selection process, led by Hertz Fellows Philip Welkhoff, director of the malaria program at the Gates Foundation, and Anna Bershteyn, associate professor of population health at New York University, the Hertz Fellowship identifies doctoral students with the extraordinary creativity and principled leadership necessary to tackle problems others can’t solve.
“This is a fantastic cohort of new Hertz Fellows, each of whom demonstrates remarkable creativity, ingenuity, curiosity, grit and a desire to make a difference,” said Welkhoff. “The work they are already doing is impressive, and we are all excited to see how each will leverage the freedom to innovate offered by the Hertz Fellowship. Their work in graduate school and beyond will advance new discoveries and inventions, improve national security, and make the world a better place.”
“Being awarded a Hertz Fellowship is so much more than individual freedom to pursue innovative research,” added Bershteyn. “It brings these young scientists into a community that spans disciplines and generations of leading scientists. The whole of what they'll bring to the world is so much greater than the sum of its parts.”
Among past Hertz Fellow recipients are Nobel laureate John Mather, a NASA astrophysicist and project scientist for the James Webb Space Telescope; Kimberly Budil, director of Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory; Nathan Myhrvold, founder and CEO of Intellectual Ventures, founding director of Microsoft Research, and former chief technology officer at Microsoft; Kathleen Fisher, deputy office director for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency Information Innovation Office; and Dario Amodei and Jared Kaplan, co-founders of Anthropic, an AI safety and research company.
Over the foundation’s 62-year history of awarding fellowships, more than 1,300 Hertz Fellows have established a remarkable track record of accomplishments. Their ranks include two Nobel laureates; recipients of 11 Breakthrough Prizes and three MacArthur Foundation “genius awards”; and winners of the Turing Award, the Fields Medal, the National Medal of Technology, the National Medal of Science and the Wall Street Journal Technology Innovation Award. In addition, 54 are members of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine, and 40 are fellows of the American Association for the Advancement of Science. Hertz Fellows hold over 3,000 patents, have founded more than 375 companies, and have created hundreds of thousands of science and technology jobs.
Introducing the 2025 Hertz Fellows
Fellows are listed with their graduate university affiliations and fields of interest.
Chance Bowman
Field of Study: Bioengineering
Undergraduate: Dartmouth College
Graduate Schools: University of California, San Francisco, and University of California, Berkeley
Chance Bowman aims to uncover the design principles of biological systems, both to understand how organisms develop and to create advanced cell therapies. A doctoral student in bioengineering at both UC San Francisco and UC Berkeley, Bowman is inspired by the complex biochemical strategies employed during development to precisely regulate cell, tissue and organism-scale biological processes. In understanding how these systems work at a quantitative, mechanistic level and how they can be reprogrammed to generate novel behaviors, he hopes to harness and expand the biological toolbox available to tackle the most complex problems in medicine and beyond. Bowman attended East Tennessee State University for one year prior to transferring to Dartmouth College, where he graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biological chemistry.
Matthew Caren
Field of Study: Computer Science
Undergraduate: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Graduate School: Stanford University
Matthew Caren develops computational systems to understand, enable and augment human expression. He currently researches computational models of how people use their voices to communicate sound at the MIT Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence Lab and interpretable real-time machine listening systems at the MIT Music Technology Lab. Caren is currently a senior at Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where he studies computer science, mathematics and music. He will pursue his doctorate at Stanford University.
Suraj Chandran
Field of Study: Chemical Physics
Undergraduate: University of Pennsylvania
Graduate School: Columbia University
Suraj Chandran develops theoretical and computational methods to probe novel quantum regimes of chemical dynamics and to accelerate the development of efficient, sustainable energy conversion systems. He is pursuing his doctorate in chemical physics at Columbia University. Chandran received his bachelor’s degree in chemistry and mathematics from the University of Pennsylvania. During his undergraduate career, he worked with Dr. Joseph Subotnik to investigate how the chiral-induced spin selectivity effect may be mediated by the interplay between molecular vibrations and spin-orbit coupling.
Edward Chen
Field of Study: Chemical Engineering
Undergraduate: United States Military Academy at West Point
Graduate School: California Institute of Technology
Edward Chen will graduate from the U.S. Military Academy class of 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in chemical engineering, with honors, and a minor in engineering management. At West Point, Chen leads 1,099 cadets as the 1st Regiment command sergeant major. After graduating in May 2025, Chen will commission as an engineer officer in the U.S. Army and pursue a doctorate in chemical engineering at the California Institute of Technology. Chen intends to use his expertise in electrochemical energy storage to innovate new technology for microgrid applications with improved integration of renewable energy.
Julie Chen
Field of Study: Biology
Undergraduate: Stanford University
Graduate School: Rockefeller University
Julie Chen seeks to uncover mechanisms of cellular decision-making and to eventually apply these insights toward engineering cells and tissues to improve human health through regenerative medicine. She plans to pursue a doctorate in cellular and developmental biology at Rockefeller University. As an undergraduate in computer science at Stanford University, Chen worked on a range of projects, from studying lysosomal metabolism and aging to developing machine learning methods for the emergency department. She eventually became fascinated with studying complex biological systems and the regulation of cell fates.
April Qiu Cheng
Field of Study: Astrophysics
Undergraduate: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Graduate School: Princeton University
April Qiu Cheng is interested in probing physics through astronomical observations spanning a wide range of scales. As an undergraduate at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, April engaged in research on gravitational-wave inference, black hole phenomenology, and the use of fast radio bursts as a statistical probe of large-scale structure. Since graduating from MIT, April is pursuing research in gravitational-wave cosmology as a Fulbright fellow at the Max Planck Institute for Gravitational Physics. They will begin their doctorate in astrophysics at Princeton in the fall.
Chu Xin (Cloris) Cheng
Field of Study: Computer Science and Engineering
Undergraduate: California Institute of Technology
Graduate School: Pending
Chu Xin (Cloris) Cheng is a researcher working at the intersection of machine learning and science, developing AI-driven methods to accelerate scientific discovery. She is currently pursuing a bachelor’s degree at the California Institute of Technology, where she conducted research on AI for experimental design with applications in protein engineering, exoskeleton gait optimization and small-molecule discovery. Passionate about interdisciplinary research, Cheng has collaborated with teams across machine learning, chemistry and biology to develop models that bridge computation and scientific intuition.
Soyoun (Soy) Choi
Field of study: Mechanical Engineering
Undergraduate: Harvard University
Graduate School: Stanford University
Soyoun (Soy) Choi aspires to develop proprioceptive robotic hands to advance dexterous manipulation and human-robot interaction. Choi currently studies at Harvard University, majoring in mechanical engineering with a minor in global health and health policy. At Harvard, she has conducted bio-inspired robotics research in the Harvard Microrobotics Lab under Professor Robert Wood and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Choi will pursue her doctorate in mechanical engineering at Stanford University.
Cade Gordon
Field of Study: Computer Science
Undergraduate: University of California, Berkeley
Graduate School: Stanford University
Cade Gordon is completing his master’s degree in electrical engineering and computer science at the University of California, Berkeley. Gordon’s research at the Berkeley Artificial Intelligence Research Lab focuses on improving the utility of protein language models for biological design using techniques from robust statistics and mechanistic interpretability. His other research interests include using large language models to conduct autonomous science and multimodal learning. Gordon will begin his doctoral research at Stanford University in 2026.
Arav Karighattam
Field of Study: Mathematics
Undergraduate: Harvard University
Graduate School: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Arav Karighattam is a mathematician passionate about algebraic number theory and arithmetic geometry, and seeks to understand the mysteries underlying the structure of solutions to Diophantine equations. Karighattam received a bachelor’s degree, magna cum laude, in mathematics with highest honors from Harvard University in March 2024 and was awarded the Thomas T. Hoopes Prize for outstanding research in his undergraduate senior thesis. He will begin his doctoral studies in mathematics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Grace Ra Kim
Field of Study: Aeronautics and Astronautics
Undergraduate: Harvard University
Graduate School: Stanford University
Grace Ra Kim is a doctoral student in aeronautics and astronautics at Stanford University’s Intelligent Systems Laboratory, focusing on decision-making systems under uncertainty for space traffic management and space situational awareness for satellite constellations. Kim graduated cum laude with high honors in engineering sciences from Harvard University. She also holds a master’s degree in advanced computer science from the University of Cambridge, where she was a Marshall Scholar. Her research interests lie at the intersection of space traffic management, autonomous systems and space policy.
Benjamin Lou
Field of Study: Physics
Undergraduate: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Graduate School: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Benjamin Lou is a physicist, mathematician and philosopher completing undergraduate studies at Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Lou will pursue his doctorate at MIT, where he plans to work on unifying quantum mechanics and gravity, with an eye toward uncovering experimentally testable predictions. Living with the debilitating disease spinal muscular atrophy, Lou has developed a unique learning style emphasizing mental visualization. He also co-founded and helps lead the MIT Assistive Technology Club, dedicated to empowering those with disabilities using creative technologies.
Tuan Anh Nguyen
Field of Study: Physics, Atomic Physics
Undergraduate: Stanford University
Graduate School: University of Colorado Boulder
Tuan Anh Nguyen is an experimental physicist interested in leveraging the smallest atom-light interactions to make the biggest impact with precisely controlled quantum many-body systems. He will attend the University of Colorado Boulder for his doctorate, focusing on atomic, molecular and optical physics, following his graduation from Stanford in 2025 with a bachelor’s degree in physics. During his undergraduate research, Nguyen worked with Professor Leo Hollberg to develop low-power atomic clocks for undersea use.
Lillian Kay Petersen
Field of Study: Genetics
Undergraduate: Harvard University
Graduate School: Stanford University
Lillian Kay Petersen aims to reveal the mechanisms of gene regulation by combining high-throughput microfluidic assays and synthetic biology. She is currently a first-year doctoral student in genetics at Stanford University. In 2024, she graduated from Harvard University, where she studied applied mathematics and molecular biology. For her undergraduate thesis, she developed machine learning algorithms to predict how much a given protein sequence will activate or repress gene expression and, through this model, discovered new biology of transcriptional regulation.
Isabelle A. Quaye
Field of Study: Computer Science
Undergraduate: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Graduate School: Pending
Isabelle A. Quaye completed undergraduate studies at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, where she majored in electrical engineering and computer science and minored in economics. As an undergraduate, Quaye was awarded competitive fellowships and scholarships from industry giants like D. E. Shaw, Hyundai, Intel and Palantir in recognition of her academic and professional achievements. She is currently a software engineer at Apple, where she continues to develop frameworks that harness intelligence from data to improve systems and processes.
Albert Qin
Field of Study: Physics and Neuroscience
Undergraduate: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Graduate School: Princeton University
Albert Qin is a doctoral student at Princeton University addressing questions about the behavior of neural networks — both artificial and biological — using a variety of approaches and ideas from physics and neuroscience. Drawn to the precision, beauty and spirit of physics, Qin earned bachelor’s degrees in physics and mathematics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. As an undergraduate, Qin was very lucky to have many wonderful and inspiring mentors. In his own career, he hopes to carry that forward to become a teacher and mentor for the next generations of students excited by science.
Ananthan Sadagopan
Field of Study: Chemical Biology
Undergraduate: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Graduate School: Harvard University
Ananthan Sadagopan is pursuing a doctorate in biological and biomedical science at Harvard University, focusing on chemical biology and the development of new therapeutic strategies. During his doctoral studies, he hopes to harness chemical biology to pioneer next-generation treatments for currently intractable diseases. Sadagopan earned a bachelor’s degree in chemistry and biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.
Eric Tao
Field of Study: Computational Neuroscience
Undergraduate: University of Pennsylvania
Graduate School: New York University
Eric Tao is interested in investigating how neural circuits within the brain give rise to complex behaviors. Starting fall of 2025, they are pursuing a doctorate in neuroscience and physiology at New York University’s Neuroscience Institute. Tao is receiving joint bachelor’s and master’s degrees from the University of Pennsylvania in May 2025, with majors in cognitive science, mathematics, linguistics and logic. They work in the lab of Dr. Marc Schmidt, studying the courtship behavior of brown-headed cowbirds. In particular, they are interested in understanding how male cowbirds tailor the songs they sing toward the social environment that they find themselves in.
Gianfranco Yee
Field of Study: Cancer Engineering
Undergraduate: Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Graduate School: Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center
Gianfranco Yee is a cancer engineer at Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Center, where he plans to leverage the gut microbiome and immune system to develop innovative therapeutic treatments. Yee earned his bachelor’s degree in biological engineering from Massachusetts Institute of Technology. His senior thesis investigated the host-microbe interactions linked to intestinal inflammation and metabolic disorders. Yee also earned a concentration in education and is committed to increasing access to STEM resources in underserved communities.
About the Hertz Foundation
Founded in 1957, the Hertz Foundation accelerates solutions to the world’s most pressing challenges, from enhancing national security to improving human health. Through the Hertz Fellowship, the Hertz Foundation identifies the nation’s most promising innovators and disruptors in science and technology, empowering them to become future leaders who keep our country safe and secure. Today, more than 1,300 Hertz Fellows form a powerful, solution-oriented network of our nation’s top scientific minds, working to address complex problems and contributing to the economic vitality of our country. Learn more at hertzfoundation.org.