The Rochester professor studies threats to democracy and the rule of law in the United States and Latin America.
Gretchen Helmke, a political science professor at the University of Rochester whose research focuses on the rule of law and democratic erosion in the United States and Latin America, has been named a Guggenheim Fellow for 2025.
The fellowships, among the most prestigious awards in academia and artistic communities, provide support to outstanding scholars and artists in midcareer, allowing them to pursue their work without restrictions.
“I am deeply honored to receive the Guggenheim Fellowship this year and so grateful for the opportunity to be able to pursue my latest research project, which focuses on the increasingly common and polarizing phenomenon of prosecuting former political leaders,” says Helmke, the Thomas H. Jackson Distinguished University Professor of Political Science.
She was one of 198 scholars and artists across 53 fields to be recognized this year from a pool of 3,500 applicants, according to the John Simon Guggenheim Memorial Foundation.
In addition to her research and teaching, Helmke is the faculty director of the Democracy Center at the University of Rochester. The center, which launched in 2022, is a nonpartisan community of scholars that sheds light on the most pressing challenges facing democracy through research, teaching, and public engagement.
She is also a cofounder of Bright Line Watch, a nonprofit organization that brings together leading political scientists to monitor democratic practices in the United States. The group focuses on the institutions of democracy, such as free and fair elections, the effectiveness of checks and balances, and the freedom of the press.
The Guggenheim Foundation has awarded more than $400 million to more than 19,000 fellows since its founding in 1925. Each fellow receives a stipend to pursue independent work at the highest level under “the freest possible conditions.”
Helmke’s appointment brings the total number of Guggenheim Fellows from the University of Rochester to 23.
In announcing the awards, Edward Hirsch, the award-winning poet and president of the foundation, lauded the fellows for their contributions to society.
“At a time when intellectual life is under attack, the Guggenheim Fellowship celebrates a century of support for the lives and work of visionary scientists, scholars, writers, and artists,” Hirsch said. “We believe that these creative thinkers can take on the challenges we all face today and guide our society towards a better and more hopeful future.”
