As the Hellman Fellowships celebrate their 30th year, three more researchers, one from each of UC Merced’s schools, have joined the prestigious ranks of recipients.
Electrical engineering Professor Qian Wang, sociology Professor Meredith Van Natta and Earth systems Professor Adeyemi Adebiyi will receive funding through their fellowships for projects they have proposed.
Van Natta plans to investigate how the collection of migrants’ biometric data by immigration enforcement agencies shapes their experiences with the U.S. legal and political systems, as well as their broader sense of social belonging.
“This project will evaluate the ethical, legal and social issues related to autonomy, equity, privacy and fairness for migrants and potential spillover effects on U.S. citizens,” she said.
“I am honored and humbled to be selected for a Hellman Fellowship this year,” Van Natta said. “It’s an immense privilege to have my research supported in this way.”
Quantum computing is the focus of Wang’s fellowship project. It’s a growing field with the potential to solve problems that traditional computers can't handle, she said.
Cloud access to public quantum computers allows researchers to run quantum circuits remotely. However, relying on third-party compilers and cloud platforms poses serious security risks, especially when protecting quantum circuits.
Wang’s project will develop a robust technique to safeguard the functionality and integrity of quantum circuits, addressing these emerging threats.
“With support from the Hellman Fellowship, we aim to gain access to a state-of-the-art quantum computing platform to start the quantum circuit security analysis, enabling large-scale simulation and evaluation on real quantum machines,” Wang said. “This effort will contribute significantly to UC Merced’s growth in this promising and rapidly evolving field. I am deeply honored to be selected as a Hellman Fellow. I sincerely thank the committee, as well as my home department and school for their support. This award means a great deal to me as I begin my research in quantum computing.”
Adebiyi will use his fellowship to further investigate the growing issue of dust.
He plans to investigate whether human-induced dust pollution has increased in California and the western U.S. in recent years and estimate the impacts of these anthropogenic dusts on the regional climate.
“Ultimately, this project will help us answer the question of whether recent changes in anthropogenic dust warm or cool the regional climate, and what consequences that would have in an already warming climate,” he said.
“Being named a Hellman Fellow for this year is an incredible honor, and I am grateful for the recognition,” Adebiyi said. “This award not only underscores the significance of my research but also enables me to train a graduate student and advance the critical research of dust and its impacts on the climate.”
This year’s awards bring UC Merced’s total number of Hellman recipients to 68. The Hellman Fellows Fund was established through an endowed gift to the University of California in 1995 from Chris and Warren Hellman and their family, providing annual support to faculty as they launch their careers. UC Merced began receiving some of that funding in 2011, and in 2020, the Hellman Foundation endowed a fund at UC Merced.
Each fellowship recognizes promising untenured faculty members who show capacity for great distinction in their chosen fields.
“Their discoveries, commitment to their work, and great potential continue to inspire us year after year,” said Frances Hellman, president of the Hellman Fellows Fund.
Each year, the selection committee reviews a wide variety of proposals and applications for the awards. In the 2024-25 school year, there were 25 applicants from UC Merced.
Each awardee receives between $10,000 and $50,000, based on their project needs.
Each of this year’s recipients now joins the Society of Hellman Fellows. Past Hellman Fellows are recognized internationally for their research, and many are now leaders in their fields around the world.
