Photo Credit: Princeton University Alumni Website.

Professor Terence Tao has been awarded the 2026 James Madison Medal, the highest distinction for a Princeton University alumnus. Tao was honored at Princeton’s annual Alumni Day this past February for his exceptional contributions to the field of mathematics. Tao received his PhD from Princeton University in 1996 at just 21 years old.

Named after the fourth president of the United States and Princeton’s first graduate alumnus, the James Madison Medal was established in 1973 by the Association of Princeton Graduate Alumni (APGA). This honor is conferred each year on an alumnus or alumna of the Graduate School who has had a distinguished career, advanced the cause of graduate education, or achieved a record of outstanding public service.

Read the official press release here.

Watch Tao’s official presentation here.

Read the Princetonian article here.