Stony Brook University Professor John Pardon Awarded Prestigious 2026 Fields Medal

STONY BROOK, NY- July 23, 2026 -The State University of New York at Stony Brook (Stony Brook University) Department of Mathematics and Simons Center for Geometry and Physics Professor John Pardon has been named a recipient of the Fields Medal from the International Congress of Mathematicians (ICM).

Professor Pardon was recognized for his outstanding mathematical achievement for existing work and for the promise of his future achievements. This prize is awarded every four years to mathematicians under 40 years of age. The Fields Medal is considered one of the highest honors a mathematician can receive and is often described as the "Nobel Prize of Mathematics." It is widely regarded as the profession's highest international honor.

Professor Pardon was honored for his achievements in symplectic geometry including new approaches to constructing virtual fundamental cycles, building Fukaya categories of certain manifolds, and counting holomorphic curves, as well as for his contributions to other areas of geometry and topology including group actions on 3-manifolds and knot theory.

"This is a shining and historic moment of academic excellence for the entire Stony Brook University community. We are thrilled to celebrate Professor John Pardon's extraordinary achievement in receiving the prestigious Fields Medal for his transformative impact in symplectic geometry," said Stony Brook University President Andrea Goldsmith. "His breakthrough results in this rigorous and beautiful field have solved the most complex and important open problems in abstract geometry. John is a truly inspiring mathematician, mentor, and role model. We are so proud to have him as a distinguished member of our faculty. The brilliance, creativity, and impact of his research exemplifies Stony Brook's mission to advance the frontiers of knowledge for the benefit of humanity. This milestone further solidifies Stony Brook's position as one of the nation's most prestigious public universities where we are accelerating our excellence and impact across education, research, healthcare and service while mentoring the next generation of leaders and innovators."

Professor Pardon is the third and latest faculty member from Stony Brook University who has been awarded the Fields Medal. Previous Fields Medal recipients who have taught at Stony Brook University include Professor John Milnor who received the Fields Medal in 1962 and Sir Simon Donaldson who was a recipient in 1986.

"John Pardon's Fields Medal embodies the very mission of the College of Arts and Sciences and Stony Brook University as a whole: to pursue bold ideas and create new knowledge of the physical world, and apply that new knowledge and understanding to benefit our society," said David Wrobel, dean of the College of Arts and Sciences. "His achievement reflects the spirit of innovation that defines Stony Brook and inspires our community to imagine - and build - a better future."

The Fields Medal is awarded to recognize outstanding mathematical achievement for existing work and for the promise of future achievement. The medals and cash prizes are funded by a trust established by J.C. Fields at the University of Toronto.

"Since arriving at Stony Brook in 2022, John Pardon has played a vital role in the Department of Mathematics and at the Simons Center for Geometry and Physics," said Scott Sutherland, professor and chair of the Department of Mathematics. "This recognition of his achievements is extremely well-deserved, and honestly, not a surprise to those who know him. Congratulations to John for this important recognition!"

The Fields Medal Committee is chosen by the Executive Committee of the International Mathematical Union (IMU) and is normally chaired by the IMU President. It is asked to choose at least two, with a strong preference for four, Fields Medalists, and to have regard in its choice to representing a diversity of mathematical fields.

The IMU is an international non-governmental and non-profit scientific organization, with the purpose of promoting international cooperation in mathematics. It is a member of the International Science Council (ISC). IMU endorses ISC's Principle of Freedom, Responsibility and Universality of Science.

Prior to joining Stony Brook University's Simons Center for Geometry and Physics and Department of Mathematics, Professor Pardon served as an assistant professor at Stanford University before moving to Princeton University as a professor. He also served as a research fellow at the Clay Mathematics Institute. He received his PhD from Stanford University and an A.B. in Mathematics from Princeton University where he was named valedictorian. In addition to winning the Fields Medal, Professor Pardon was awarded the New Horizons in Mathematics Prize, the Clay Research Award and was elected to the 2018 class of fellows of the American Mathematical Society.

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About The State University of New York at Stony Brook (Stony Brook University)

The State University of New York at Stony Brook is New York's flagship university and No. 1 public university. It is part of the State University of New York (SUNY) system. With more than 27,000 students, more than 3,000 faculty members, more than 237,000 alumni, a premier academic healthcare system and 18 NCAA Division I athletic programs, Stony Brook is a research-intensive distinguished center of innovation dedicated to addressing the world's biggest challenges. The university embraces its mission to provide comprehensive undergraduate, graduate and professional education of the highest quality, and is ranked as the #59 overall university and #26 among public universities in the nation by U.S. News & World Report's Best Colleges listing. Fostering a commitment to academic research and intellectual endeavors, Stony Brook's membership in the Association of American Universities (AAU) places it among the top 71 research institutions in North America. The university's distinguished faculty have earned esteemed awards such as the Nobel Prize, Pulitzer Prize, Indianapolis Prize for animal conservation, Abel Prize, Fields Medal, Breakthrough prizes in mathematics and physics, and MacArthur Fellows Genius Grants. Stony Brook has the responsibility of co-managing Brookhaven National Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Energy - one of only eight universities with a role in running a national laboratory. In 2023, Stony Brook was named the anchor institution for The New York Climate Exchange on Governors Island in New York City. Providing economic growth for neighboring communities and the wider geographic region, the university totals an impressive $8.93 billion in increased economic output on Long Island. Follow us on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/stonybrooku/ and X@stonybrooku.