The following 25 fellows each will receive $500,000 over the next five years from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation:
Chimamanda Adichie, 31, fiction writer, Columbia, Md. Using events inspired by her native Nigeria, Adichie explores ethnic conflict in novels and stories. Will Allen, 59, urban farmer, Milwaukee. Allen provides healthy food to underserved and urban populations using low-cost farming techniques. Regina Benjamin, 51, rural family physician, Bayou La Batre, Ala. With her Bayou La Batre Rural Health Clinic, Benjamin delivers medical care to rural and underserved areas of Alabama. Kirsten Bomblies, 34, plant evolutionary geneticist, Tubingen, Germany. Bomblies researches how new species originate. Tara Donovan, 38, sculptor, New York. As an artist, Donovan transforms ordinary materials into sculptures that mirror geological and biological forms. Wafaa El-Sadr, 58, infectious disease physician, New York. El-Sadr works to find treatments for pandemics like HIV/AIDS and tuberculosis. Andrea Ghez, 43, astrophysicist, Los Angeles. Among Ghez's accomplishments are identifying thousands of new star systems and researching black holes. Stephen Houston, 49, anthropologist and epigrapher, Providence, R.I. Houston's specialty is researching Mesoamerican people by interpreting their hieroglyphics and art. Mary Jackson, 63, fiber artist, Charleston, S.C. Jackson has preserved the craft of sweetgrass basketry. Leila Josefowicz, 30, violinist, New York. A solo musical performer, Josefowicz specifically looks to work with modern composers to broaden the violin's repertoire. Alexei Kitaev, 45, physicist and computer scientist, Pasadena, Calif. Kitaev studies quantum physics and quantum computing. Walter Kitundu, 35, instrument maker and composer, San Francisco. Kitundu looks to both traditional and experimental music to create new instruments and produce electro-acoustic works. Susan Mango, 47, developmental biologist, Salt Lake City. By using genetics, genomics, ecology and embryology, Mango researches how organs are formed. Diane Meier, 56, geriatrician, New York. Meier develops more humane and effective treatments for the seriously ill. David Montgomery, 46, geomorphologist, Seattle. Montgomery studies ecological consequences of Earth surface processes. John Ochsendorf, 34, structural engineer and architectural preservationist, Cambridge, Mass. Restoring structures from the distant past and identifying ancient building technologies allow Ochsendorf to develop more efficient contemporary construction methods. Peter Pronovost, 43, critical care physician, Baltimore. Pronovost devises new clinical practices for hospitals that improve patient safety and avoid human error. Adam Riess, 38, astronomer, Baltimore. Riess designs experiments and creates devices that would explain the geometry of the universe. Alex Ross, 40, music critic, New York. As a critic for The New Yorker, Ross offers new ways of thinking about music. Nancy Siraisi, 76, medical historian, New York. Siraisi studies the impact of medical theory and practice on Renaissance society, culture and religion. Marin Soljacic, 34, optical physicist, Cambridge, Mass. In an effort to create electrical devices that operate without batteries or wall connections, Soljacic studies how power can be transmitted wirelessly. Sally Temple, 49, neuroscientist, Albany, N.Y. Temple researches more effective treatments for central nervous system damage. Jennifer Tipton, 71, stage lighting designer, New York. Tipton uses lighting to evoke mood and accompany dance, drama and opera. Rachel Wilson, 34, experimental neurobiologist, Boston. Using electrophysiology, neuropharmacology, molecular genetics and anatomy, Wilson studies brain neurons. Miguel Zenon, 31, saxophonist, New York. Zenon creates new sounds using his native music of Puerto Rico and a variety of jazz forms as inspiration.
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