MacArthur Fellows Program
The MacArthur Fellows Program awards unrestricted fellowships to talented individuals who have shown extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits and a marked capacity for self-direction.
Amir Abo-Shaeer
Goleta, CA
Physics Teacher inspiring and preparing public high school students for careers in science and mathematics through an innovative curriculum that integrates applied physics, engineering, and robotics.
Jessie Little Doe Baird
Mashpee, MA
Indigenous Language Preservationist reviving a long-silent language and restoring to her Native American community a vital sense of its cultural heritage and to the nation a link to our complex past.
Kelly Benoit-Bird
Corvallis, OR
Marine Biologist using sophisticated acoustic engineering technology to explore the previously invisible behavior of ocean creatures and address long-unanswered questions about the structure and behavior of food chains.
Nicholas Benson
Newport, RI
Stone Carver preserving the legacy of a centuries-old artistic tradition and expanding the art of hand letter carving with the beauty and craftsmanship of his own designs.
Drew Berry
Melbourne, Australia
Biomedical Animator enhancing our under-standing of a wide range of biological processes and systems by synthesizing data from a variety of fields into scientifically accurate, aesthetically rich visualizations.
Carlos D. Bustamante
Stanford, CA
Population Geneticist mining DNA sequence data to address funda-mental questions about the mechanisms of evolution, the complex origins of human genetic diversity, and patterns of population migration.
Matthew Carter
Cambridge, MA
Type Designer crafting letterforms of unequaled elegance and precision for a range of applications and media that span the migration of text from the printed page to computer screens.
David Cromer
New York, NY
Theater Director reinvigorating classic American plays with a spirit and urgency that eschews nostalgia and provides audiences with unexpectedly fresh and compelling theatrical experiences.
John Dabiri
Pasadena, CA
Biophysicist investigating the hydrodynamics of jellyfish propulsion, which has profound implications for our understanding of evolutionary adaptation and such related issues in fluid dynamics as blood flow in the human heart.
Shannon Lee Dawdy
Chicago, IL
Anthropologist combining archaeological scholarship with historical preservation to reveal the dynamics of intellectual and social life in New Orleans from its establishment as a French colony to the present day.
Annette Gordon-Reed
Cambridge, MA
American Historian enriching our understanding of colonial and early American interracial relations by disentangling the complicated history of two distinct founding families.
Yiyun Li
Davis, CA
Fiction Writer dramatizing the myriad effects of late-twentieth-century China's sweeping social changes in a deeply moving, yet quietly understated, style of storytelling.
Michal Lipson
Ithaca, NY
Optical Physicist working at the intersection of fundamental photonics and nanofabrication engineering to design silicon-based photonic circuits that are paving the way for practical optical computing devices.
Nergis Mavalvala
Cambridge, MA
Quantum Astrophysicist linking optics, condensed matter, and quantum mechanics in research that enhances our ability to detect and quantify gravitational radiation.
Jason Moran
New York, NY
Jazz Pianist and Composer blending a variety of musical styles in genre-crossing performances that expand the boundaries of jazz expression.
Carol Padden
La Jolla, CA
Sign Language Linguist illuminating the unique structure and evolution of sign languages and the specific social implications of signed communication.
Jorge Pardo
Los Angeles, CA
Installation Artist challenging the distinction between fine art and design, as well as the constraints of museum and gallery spaces, with visually seductive works at the intersection of painting, sculpture, and architecture.
Sebastian Ruth
Providence, RI
Violist, Violinist, and Music Educator providing richly rewarding musical experiences and education for urban youth and their families while forging new roles beyond the concert hall for the twenty-first-century musician.
Emmanuel Saez
Berkeley, CA
Economist drawing on quantitative analyses, behavioral experiments, and theoretical insights to enhance our understanding of the relationship between income and tax policy.
David Simon
Baltimore, MD
Author, Screenwriter, and Producer crafting richly textured narratives that engage wide-ranging audiences and confront some of the most daunting challenges facing America’s urban centers.
Dawn Song
Berkeley, CA
Computer Security Specialist exploring the deep interactions among software, hardware, and networks to increase the stability of computer systems vulnerable to remote attack or interference.
Marla Spivak
St. Paul, MN
Entomologist protecting one of the world’s most important pollinators—the honey bee—from decimation by disease while making important contributions to our understanding of bee biology.
Elizabeth Turk
Atlanta, GA
Sculptor transforming her signature medium of marble, a traditionally monumental and prone-to-fracture material, into intricate, seemingly weightless works of art.
Contact:
Daniel J. Socolow
Director, Fellows Program
fellows-inquiries@macfound.org
(312) 726-8000
About the Foundation
The MacArthur Foundation supports creative people and effective institutions committed to building a more just, verdant, and peaceful world. In addition to selecting the MacArthur Fellows, the Foundation works to defend human rights, advance global conservation and security, make cities better places, and understand how technology is affecting children and society.