The 2014 MacArthur Fellows have just been announced. Every year, I enjoy reading about the newest class of Fellows. I always learn something new. These extraordinary people and their endeavors never fail to spark my imagination. 21 innovators were just awarded this honor and a “no-strings-attached stipend of $625,000, paid out over five years. The Fellowship comes with no stipulations or reporting requirements, and allows recipients maximum freedom to follow their own creative visions.”
What a great gift of time and resources to allow those who have impacted our world in new and positive ways, the freedom to create without worrying where the next dollar comes from. They help us expand our view of what’s possible and inspire us to do better.
The MacArthur Fellows work in diverse fields and often across multiple disciplines. Meet this year’s class below.
Designing new strategies to address persistent social challenges such as securing fair and affordable housing (John Henneberger), protecting civil rights (Mary L. Bonauto), and ensuring equal access to justice for both the victims of crime (Sarah Deer) and the accused (Jonathan Rapping);
Redefining paradigms in algebraic geometry (Jacob Lurie), documentary film (Joshua Oppenheimer), memoir (Alison Bechdel), labor organizing (Ai-jen Poo), and public art (Rick Lowe);
Refreshing traditional templates to create distinctive and innovative work in theatre (Samuel D. Hunter), jazz (Steve Coleman), and poetry (Terrance Hayes);
Probing with original insights into number theory (Yitang Zhang), brain connectivity (Danielle Bassett), and racial bias (Jennifer L. Eberhardt);
Bridging the gap between theory and application in black carbon emissions (Tami Bond), nanomaterials (Mark Hersam), and cryptography (Craig Gentry);
Deepening our understanding of contemporary Arabic poetry (Khaled Mattawa), and the historical roots of empirical science (Pamela O. Long) and national identities in Europe (Tara Zahra).