2 scholars with Iowa ties named Guggenheim Fellows

Two University of Iowa-affiliated scholars are among those selected for 2026 Guggenheim Fellowships.

Poet and playwright Suji Kwock Kim, a 1997 graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, was recognized for outstanding work in poetry. Her collections include Disorient, Notes from the North, and Notes from the Divided Country, and her writing has appeared in The New York Times, The Washington Post, Los Angeles Times, Slate, and The Paris Review. Kim currently is a UNESCO Writer-in-Residence with the Bucheon City of Literature in Korea, a 2026 Literature Fellow with the Creative Capital Foundation in New York, and a 2026 Scriptorium Fellow with the Royal Society of Literature in England.

Interdisciplinary artist riel Sturchio, an assistant professor of photography at Iowa, was recognized for outstanding work in photography. Using constructed photography, large silver gelatin darkroom prints, writing, and collaborative projects, they draw on their experiences with queerness and illness to examine societal norms of beauty, ability, and gender identity. They and their twin sister are cofounders of Begin Collective, a community-based photography collective offering group projects by and for people at the intersection of LGBTQ+, disability, chronic illness, and neurodivergence.

The Guggenheim Foundation's 101st Class of Fellows includes 223 artists, scientists, and scholars across 55 disciplines, noted for their prior career achievement and exceptional promise. The fellowships include a monetary stipend and are open to U.S. and Canadian citizens or permanent residents. Since its establishment in 1925, the foundation has granted nearly $450 million to more than 19,000 individuals.

More information is available on the Guggenheim website.