HFG Welcomes its 2026 Distinguished Scholars February 24, 2026 (NEW YORK) — The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation is pleased to announce the selection of its 2026 HFG Distinguished Scholars. The Distinguished Scholar Awards support and recognize leading researchers proposing to make a significant contribution to illuminating an issue of violence. The 13 grantees were chosen through a rigorous peer-review competition and represent a wide range of scholarly disciplines. In selecting the recipients of the awards, highest priority was given to research that addresses the causes, manifestation, or prevention of a contemporary problem of violence. FIRST ROW: STEPHANIE BONNES, SAM ERKILETIAN, JEFFREY FAGAN, JAMES ALAN FOX, GODFREY HOVE, AMIRA JADOON, KATHLEEN KLAUS; SECOND ROW: SANDRA LEY, MARC LYNCH, RADHA SARKAR, JACOB STOWELL, GAIL SUPER, MEGAN TURNBULL “The latest cohort of HFG Distinguished Scholars comprises outstanding researchers studying problems of serious violence around the world,” said HFG Director of Research Joel Wallman. “Land conflict in Lesotho, organized crime in Mexico, and mass killings in the US, to name just three of their projects, exemplify the topical and geographic range of our scholars. Preventing or reducing violence requires first determining what drives it; this is what our grants make possible.” The Harry Frank Guggenheim Foundation is a leader in creating and disseminating knowledge on the nature, consequences, and reduction of violence in its many forms, including war, crime, and human aggression. 2026 Scholars and Research Topics Stephanie Bonnes (Criminal Justice and Criminology, University of New Haven), Beyond Policy: Understanding Institutional Prevention and Response to Sexual Assault in the US Military Sam Erkiletian (Political Science, Independent scholar), Civilian Harm Mitigation and Response at the Tactical Level: Evidence from Ukraine (2022–2024) Jeffrey Fagan (Law, Columbia University), Reducing Civilian Injuries in Police Encounters: A Quasi-Experimental Approach James Alan Fox and Jacob Stowell (Criminology and Criminal Justice, Northeastern University), Exploring the Demographic, Socio-Economic, and Legislative Impacts on Mass Killings Godfrey Hove (Historical Studies, National University of Lesotho), Land Disputes, Violence, and Famo Gang Wars in Mafeteng District, Lesotho: The Imperatives of Land Management and Peacebuilding Amira Jadoon (Political Science, Clemson University), Mapping Visions of Peace: Perspectives on Violence, Grievances, and Reconciliation in Pakistan’s Conflict Zones Sandra Ley and Radha Sarkar (Social Sciences and Government, Tecnológico de Monterrey), Organized Crime and Religious Leaders: Understanding Victimization and Resilience Marc Lynch (Political Science and International Affairs, George Washington University), Battle Scars: Violence and the Middle Eastern Warscape Gail Super (Sociology, University of Toronto), Community-Based Violence in Spaces of Rural Precarity: A Case Study of the Xhora Mouth Area in the Eastern Cape Province, South Africa Megan Turnbull (International Affairs, University of Georgia) and Kathleen Klaus (Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University), Democracy Dismissed: When Citizens Choose Political Violence For more information, contact: Halima Gikandi Senior Communications Manager info@hfg.org | 646.428.0971
