Three Columbians or individuals with strong connections to the University have been selected as 2023 MacArthur Fellows by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.
The fellowship is awarded to talented individuals in a variety of fields who have shown exceptional originality in and dedication to their creative pursuits. This year, 20 fellows will receive $800,000 stipends; they may use the money as they see fit. Nominated anonymously by leaders in their respective fields and considered by an anonymous selection committee, the three Columbia-affiliated recipients of the "genius" grant are:
Columbia alumna Courtney Bryan (GSAS’09, ’14), the Albert and Linda Mintz Professor of Music at Tulane University, is a composer and pianist. Bryan was recognized by the foundation for “melding elements of jazz, classical, and sacred music in works that reverberate with social and political issues of our time.”
Raven Chacon, adjunct professor at Columbia's Graduate School of Architecture, Planning and Preservation, is a composer and artist. Chacon was recognized by the foundation for “creating musical works that cut across boundaries of visual art and performance to illuminate landscapes, their inhabitants, and histories.”
A. Park Williams is a hydroclimatist at the University of California, Los Angeles, who was a research professor at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory of Columbia University from 2013 to 2021. Williams was recognized by the foundation for “uncovering new insights into how climate change influences drought, wildfires, and tree mortality.”
