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UMBC English Grad Holly Jean Buck '02 Receives MacArthur Fellowship

Grant will support research on climate and energy policy

Congratulations to Holly Jean Buck '02, English, recipient of a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship! The MacArthur Fellowships are $800,000 grants for individuals who have shown exceptional creativity in their work and the promise to do more.

Holly Jean Buck is a sociologist investigating the social, ethical, and political dimensions of emerging climate and energy policies. She envisions governance structures for a wide range of climate responses, from rural place-based efforts in natural resource management and clean energy to global-scale climate interventions, like solar radiation modification and carbon removal. Buck cuts through heated rhetoric to focus on communities and just and equitable implementation of solutions to our planetary climate crisis.

Learn more about Buck's past work and research plans here. 

Posted: October 15, 2026, 4:18 PM

Photo portrait of a woman with light skin and dark curly hair wearing a blue shirt and blazer looking at the camera