Academics Win MacArthur 'Genius' Fellowships

Academics were among the fortunate few to receive calls Monday from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation naming them as new MacArthur Fellows. The program (commonly called the "genius awards" even if the foundation doesn't use that term) provides $500,000 in no-strings-attached support over the next five years. The academics are:

• Roland Fryer, Robert M. Beren Professor of Economics at Harvard University.
• Elodie Ghedin, assistant professor of computational and systems biology at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine.
• Markus Greiner, associate professor of physics at Harvard University.
• Kevin Guskiewicz, Kenan Distinguished Professor of Exercise and Sport Science at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.
• Tiya Miles, professor of history at the University of Michigan.
• Matthew Nock, professor of psychology at Harvard University.
• Sarah Otto, professor of zoology at the University of British Columbia.
• Shwetak Patel, assistant professor of computer science and engineering at the University of Washington,
• Kay Ryan, chancellor of the Academy of American Poets.
• Melanie Sanford, Arthur F. Thurnau Professor of Chemistry at the University of Michigan.
• William Seeley, associate professor of neurology at the University of California at San Francisco.
• Jacob Soll, professor of history at Rutgers University at Camden.
• Yukiko Yamashito, assistant professor of cell & developmental biology, University of Michigan Medical School.