Tarek Elgindi Awarded Guggenheim Fellowship

Tarek Elgindi, Professor of Mathematics, has been awarded a 2026 Guggenheim Fellowship, joining the 101st class of Guggenheim Fellows.  

The fellowship, established in 1925 by Senator Simon Guggenheim, provides recipients with a stipend to pursue independent work under what the foundation describes as “the freest possible conditions.” 

Elgindi’s research centers on the Euler equation, a fundamental mathematical model describing the motion of fluids such as air and water. His work explores the complex behavior that emerges from these equations, particularly the dynamics of vortices, the swirling motions familiar from everyday phenomena like water circling a drain. By studying these patterns mathematically, Elgindi aims to better understand how fluid motion evolves and how seemingly simple equations can produce highly intricate behavior. 

In recent years, Elgindi has focused on two central questions: identifying conditions under which vortices remain steady or stable, and determining when they instead intensify dramatically in a process known as singularity formation. Through the Guggenheim Fellowship, he plans to develop new analytical tools and uncover previously unseen behaviors within these systems.  

As Elgindi explains, “My goal with this project is to establish new analytical tools, and isolate new phenomena, to push forward our understanding of both steady fluid flows and singularity formation.” 

He is one of 223 scholars, scientists, and creative professionals from the United States and Canada selected from a pool of more than 5,000 applicants, in recognition of both prior achievement and exceptional promise.