Three faculty of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, including microbiologist Wei Qin, have received Sloan Foundation Fellowships from the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation.
The Alfred P. Sloan Foundation is a not-for-profit, mission-driven grantmaking institution dedicated to improving the welfare of all through the advancement of scientific knowledge. Fellows each receive a two-year, $75,000 award that can be used flexibly to advance their research.
In addition to Qin, Illinois Mathematics professor Benjamin Castle and physics professor Jacob Covey also received the fellowship.
They are among the 126 early-career research scientists whose “creativity, innovation, and research accomplishments make them stand out as the next generation of leaders,” according to the foundation.
"I am honored and humbled to be part of this year’s cohort of Sloan Fellows," Qin said. "My lab has just begun a new chapter in the School of MCB and Department of Microbiology, and this recognition reflects the outstanding work carried out by my lab members, including alumni postdoctoral researchers, graduate and undergraduate students from my previous institution, as well as my current two postdocs and three PhD students at MCB."
Qin studies marine and soil microbes and their roles in biogeochemistry, the nitrogen cycle, ecology, and the environment, as well as how they adapt to environmental stress and change. He joined the Illinois faculty in 2025 after earning his PhD from the University of Washington in 2016. He has also been recognized with the Department of Energy Early Career Award and the Simons Foundation Early Career Award in Aquatic Microbial Ecology and Evolution.
"Our research seeks to understand microbial control of nitrogen transformations, from regulatory genes and cellular physiology to ecosystem-scale processes in both marine and terrestrial environments. This work is especially important in Illinois, where improving nitrogen management in agricultural systems is critical for sustainability and environmental protection. We are excited about the opportunities ahead at the U of I and look forward to continuing to build a vibrant research program here," he said.
"I am grateful to my nominator, recommendation letter writers, colleagues, and mentors, whose continued support and encouragement have been invaluable to my early-career development," Qin added.
Castle studies mathematical logic, with a particular interest in applying tools from logic to study other areas such as algebraic geometry and combinatorics. He received his PhD from the University of California Berkeley in 2021 and joined the faculty at the U. of I. in 2024.
Covey works to answer key questions in quantum physics, quantum communications and quantum information by studying atoms with “tweezers” made of focused laser beams. He received his doctorate degree from the University of Colorado Boulder in 2017 and joined the Illinois faculty in 2020. He holds two patents and has also received Young Investigator Awards from the Air Force Office of Scientific Research and the Office of Naval Research.
