We are proud to announce that Professor Suk-Young Kim, Associate Dean for Academic Affairs & External Engagement and Head of Theater and Performance Studies, has been awarded a 2025 Guggenheim Fellowship. This prestigious honor recognizes her bold and impactful contributions to the field of Theatre Arts & Performance Studies.

Also recognized this year is TFT alumnus Ruben Polendo (MFA ’98), founder and artistic director of Theater Mitu, whose work continues to push the boundaries of experimental performance.

The 2025 class marks the Guggenheim Foundation’s 100th cohort of Fellows, honoring 198 trailblazing artists and scholars across 53 fields—celebrating a century of transformative impact on American intellectual and cultural life.

Professor Kim is the fourth member of the TFT community to receive this honor, joining Juan Pablo González (2024), interim dean Chon A. Noriega (2021), and Sylvan Oswald (2019).

Read the full announcement from the Guggenheim Foundation here.