Two UC San Diego Scientists Awarded Prestigious Sloan Research Fellowships

Vashan Wright

Assistant Professor, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
Sloan Research Fellowship Awarded in Earth System Science

Vashan Wright is part of a group of scientists developing a new “transdiscipline” at the intersection of geophysics, physics and material science—a field known as soft earth geophysics. His research spans tectonics, paleoseismicity and earthquake-triggered hazards such as landslides. As leader of the Scripps Tectonorockphysics Lab, he and his team analyze sediments and rocks from oceans, lakes, rivers and beaches to reveal the granular physics behind geologic processes, especially those involved in inducing or producing natural hazards.

Since joining Scripps Oceanography in 2021, Wright has built a high-profile research program that integrates sea-going observations, numerical modeling and experimental soft condensed matter physics. His discoveries have even extended beyond Earth—in 2024, he led a study providing the best evidence to date that the planet Mars likely still has stores of liquid water in its crust.

A champion for diversity in geoscience, Wright founded the program Unlearning Racism in Geoscience, or URGE, to address the impact of racism on the participation and retention of people of color in the field. URGE is also designed to help geoscientists develop, implement and assess anti-racist policies and resources in their workplaces.

Wright said the Sloan Research Fellowship will support his work to test and improve granular flow theories so that they capture the behaviors of granular earth materials.

“I feel honored and inspired to have received this award, knowing that many great scientists who go on to field-changing work were once Sloan Research Fellows,” said Wright. “I am extremely grateful to my trainees, mentors, collaborators, and past supervisors, without whom I could not get the chance to continue to do the science that I love in service of the communities I love.”

Xiaolong Wang

Assistant Professor, Jacobs School of Engineering
Sloan Research Fellowship Awarded in Computer Science

Xiaolong Wang specializes in computer vision, machine learning and robotics, with a goal of developing robots with human-like intelligence and physical abilities that allow them to seamlessly integrate into daily life—from assisting with household chores to working alongside people in factories.

To build robots with such sophisticated skills, Wang has pioneered advancements in two key areas: self-supervised learning and modeling long-range context. In self-supervised learning, Wang’s team trains robots to learn autonomously, enabling them to develop adaptable and efficient decision-making processes. To achieve long-range context, Wang’s team builds models that enable robots to reason and connect pieces of information over extended time periods.

These approaches have led to multiple breakthroughs in robotics. Wang’s team has built humanoid robots that mimic expressive human movements—such as dancing, waving and high-fiving—while maintaining balance on varied terrains. Beyond whole-body motion and control, Wang’s team has made remarkable progress in robotic dexterity. They have designed robots capable of sorting, packing and folding, as well as robotic hands that can handle delicate objects by touch alone, without relying on vision. Wang’s work paves the way for deploying robots in low-visibility conditions and environments that require fine motor skills, ranging from industrial assembly lines to hospitals, laboratories and disaster sites.

“It is a great honor to be named a Sloan Fellow and join an outstanding group of researchers across various fields,” said Wang. “Support from the Sloan Foundation will help us further push the boundaries of robotics to enhance daily life, make workplaces safer and contribute to the public good.”

The Sloan Foundation is a not-for-profit grantmaking institution dedicated to supporting research and education in science, technology, engineering, mathematics, and economics. To date, 58 Sloan Research Fellows have received a Nobel Prize, including John Hopfield, last year’s Nobel laureate in physics. Seventy-two have won the National Medal of Science, 17 have won the Fields Medal in mathematics, and 24 have won the John Bates Clark Medal in economics, including every winner since 2009. Visit the Fellows Database for a complete list of current and former Sloan Research Fellows.

Nominations for the 2026 Sloan Research Fellowships will open on July 15, 2026.