Twenty-two new geniuses were anointed Tuesday as the Chicago-based MacArthur Foundation announced the 2024 winners of its MacArthur Fellowship, an award commonly known as the “genius grant.”
Four visual artists, three performing artists, six writers and a filmmaker are among this year’s winners, who hail from 15 states and Washington, D.C. Chicago’s two winners are author Ling Ma and Ebony G. Patterson, a multimedia artist who also lives in Kingston, Jamaica.
The grants, given annually by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, are considered one of the nation’s most prestigious awards for intellectual and artistic achievement; this year’s winners also include historians, activists, scientists and social scientists.
Along with bragging rights, fellows receive $800,000, paid in quarterly installments over five years, with “no strings attached” or requirements for how the money is used. The foundation says the money is given to “talented and creative individuals as an investment in their potential.”
For 2024, 11 of those individuals are women, 10 are men and one (Justin Vivian Bond) is non-binary. The youngest are Loka Ashwood, Martha Muñoz and Shamel Pitts (all 39), the oldest is Juan Felipe Herrera (75).
The 2024 MacArthur Fellows:
Loka Ashwood, 39 (University of Kentucky in Lexington, Kentucky): A sociologist who studies rural identity “and the ecological, economic and social challenges facing rural communities,” according to the MacArthur announcement.
Ruha Benjamin, 46 (Princeton University in Princeton, New Jersey): Writer and scholar interested in how technology reflects and reproduces inequality.
Justin Vivian Bond, 61 (New York City): An artist, singer and cabaret performer whose work combines cultural critique with queer joy. Known for the cabaret duo Kiki and Herb.
Jericho Brown, 48 (Emory University in Atlanta): A poet reflecting on contemporary culture and identity. His 2019 volume “The Tradition” won a Pulitzer Prize.
Tony Cokes, 68 (Brown University in Providence, Rhode Island): Artist creating video works that “recontextualize historical and cultural moments.”
Nicola Dell, 42 (Cornell Tech in New York City): Computer scientist interested in how technology can address the needs of overlooked populations, such as survivors of intimate partner violence.
Johnny Gandelsman, 46 (New Paltz, New York): Grammy-winning violinist and music producer interested in creating new music and reimagining classical works by Bach and other composers.
Sterlin Harjo, 44 (Tulsa, Oklahoma): Filmmaker whose work illustrates the daily lives of contemporary Native Americans. “Reservation Dogs,” created by Harjo and Taika Waititi, was a three-season series for FX and Hulu.
Juan Felipe Herrera, 75 (Fresno, California): Poet and educator who writes about Chicano culture and served as Poet Laureate of the United States from 2015 to 2017.
Ling Ma, 41 (Chicago): Novelist whose books include a critically acclaimed 2018 debut “Severance” and 2022’s “Bliss Montage.”
Jennifer L. Morgan, 58 (New York University in New York City): Historian studying race-based slavery in early America and the Black Atlantic.
Martha Muñoz, 39 (Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut): An evolutionary biologist “investigating the motors and brakes of evolution,” according to the MacArthur announcement.
Shaikaja Paik, 50 (University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati, Ohio): Historian studying caste, gender and sexuality in modern India through the lives of Dalit women.
Joseph Parker, 44 (California Institute of Technology in Pasadena, California): Evolutionary biologist working with symbiosis in rove beetles and the evolution of complex traits.
Ebony G. Patterson, 43 (Chicago and Kingston, Jamaica): Multimedia artist whose work carries themes of visibility, beauty, race, class, violence, mourning and regeneration.
Shamel Pitts, 39 (Brooklyn, New York): Dancer and choreographer with an interest in Afrofuturism. He’s the founding artistic director of the New York-based collective TRIBE.
Wendy Red Star, 43 (Portland, Oregon): Visual artist who uses archival materials in works “that challenge colonial historical narratives.”
Jason Reynolds, 40 (Washington, D.C.) Children’s and young adult writer who writes about kids of color. His books include his “Track” series, “Ghost” and “As Brave as You.”
Dorothy Roberts, 68 (Philadelphia): A legal scholar and public policy researcher who investigates racial inequities within health and social service systems.
Keivan G. Stassun, 52 (Nashville, Tennessee): Scientist and educator at Vanderbilt and Fisk Universities who researches astrophysics and works to expand STEM opportunities for underrepresented students.
Benjamin Van Mooy, 52 (Woods Hole, Massachusetts): An oceanographer who investigates how microbial organisms affect the elements fundamental to life in marine environments.
Alice Wong, 50 (San Francisco): A writer and activist devoted to disability justice. Her writing and personal stories expose ableist attitudes and policies that can marginalize people with disabilities.
dgeorge@chicagotribune.com