Two LSU Faculty Named Guggenheim Fellows, Marking University Milestone

Two LSU faculty members have earned one of the nation’s most prestigious honors in support of intellectual and creative achievement. Jeremiah Ariaz, professor of art/photography, and Maurice Carlos Ruffin, associate professor of English, have been named Guggenheim Fellows, an award widely recognized by the National Research Council as a benchmark of excellence in scholarship and the arts. 

Their selection places them among a distinguished group of scholars and creators whose work is shaping culture and advancing knowledge across disciplines. 

“It is incredibly rewarding to see faculty like Jeremiah Ariaz and Maurice Carlos Ruffin recognized at this level. The Guggenheim Fellowship is among the most respected honors in academia and the arts, and it highlights the extraordinary work happening at LSU,” said LSU Chancellor Jim Dalton. “Prestigious awards like this play an important role in elevating LSU’s national standing as we continue our pursuit of excellence and recognition as one of the top research universities in the U.S.”

Jeremiah Ariaz

Ariaz will focus his fellowship on his project, The Fourth Estate in the Heart of America, a photographic and editorial project documenting newspaper offices as a celebration of local journalism’s civic role and a lament for its decline. His photographs examine the constructs of American identity within personal, community, and political contexts. 

“The long-standing tradition of support for photography from the Guggenheim Foundation aligns with LSU’s decades-long fine art photography tradition, which his work, and the work of all our faculty, exemplifies,” said Rod Parker, director of the LSU School of Art.  

Maurice Carlos Ruffin

Ruffin’s fellowship will support his forthcoming book-length literary project, Liar’s Bouquet, a contemporary satire set in New Orleans. The novel follows a family of activists who suddenly discover they may have been on the wrong side of a hidden conflict all along. At its center is Abel Caines, a loving husband and father of three, who must decide how to protect his loved ones while standing up for the ideals that have long guided him.

“This recognition speaks to the remarkable excellence of our faculty and the vibrant intellectual community we have built,” said Michael Pasquier, interim dean of the College of Humanities & Social Sciences. “Professor Ruffin’s work demonstrates how literature can engage urgent contemporary issues while advancing the highest standards of artistic and scholarly inquiry. We are proud to see his contributions acknowledged on a national stage.”  

Together, these honors reflect the caliber of scholarship and creative work emerging from LSU—work that not only shapes national conversations but also strengthens the university’s momentum toward becoming a Top 50 research institution.  

About the Guggenheim Fellowship 
Established in 1925, the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation awards fellowships to individuals who have demonstrated exceptional capacity for productive scholarship or outstanding creative ability in the arts. Each year, Guggenheim Fellows are selected through a rigorous peer-review process from a broad pool of applicants working across dozens of disciplines. The fellowship provides recipients with the time and flexibility to pursue independent work at the highest level under the freest possible conditions. Alumni of the program include many of the most influential artists, writers, scientists, and scholars of the past century.