Marbely Micolta, a doctoral student in astronomy and scientific computing at the University of Michigan, has been selected as one of eight new 51 Pegasi b Fellows for 2026.
“It’s been pretty surreal. This is one of the biggest fellowships in astronomy, especially in my field of astronomy,” said Micolta, whose work is helping explain how planets form. “I don’t think the news has fully sunk in yet.”
Established in 2017, the fellowship received a record number of applications for 2026, according to the Heising-Simons Foundation, which created and funds the fellowship.
The Heising-Simons Foundation is a family foundation that funds research in numerous fields, including work in fundamental science research that can transform our understanding of the universe. The 51 Pegasi b Fellowship—named after the first planet discovered outside of our solar system that orbits a sun-like star—provides a three-year grant to cover salary, benefits and flexible research-related discretionary spending.
Micolta’s fellowship will begin once she has completed her doctoral studies at U-M later this year and joins Carnegie Science to better understand something she discovered serendipitously at U-M.
Read the full announcement in Michigan News.
Photo by Vaishnav Rao
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