Meet the 2013 MacArthur Fellows

exploring the relationship between identity and personal history through a unique hybrid of traditional and informal dance styles.

composing works of fiction and nonfiction that are characterized by tightly controlled prose juxtaposed with absurd and surreal events.

inventing efficient, scalable, and environmentally sound methods for recreating in the laboratory natural products with potential pharmaceutical applications.

establishing links between ancient plant remains and present-day ecosystems through a pioneering and integrative approach to evolutionary plant biology.

creating a comprehensive health care delivery model that addresses the medical and social service needs of high-risk patients in impoverished communities.

expanding our knowledge of individual behavior and challenging models of human interaction that form the basis of classic economic theory.

engaging listeners and readers in a deeper appreciation of classical music through unmatched musical ability paired with an unusual eloquence with words.

transforming our understanding of the roles that grit and self-control play in educational achievement.

designing new materials, atom by atom, that have electrical, magnetic, and optical properties desirable for electronics and improved communication technology.

drawing on archaeological and textual sources to provide fresh insight into the social, economic, and cultural lives of inhabitants of late Roman and medieval Britain.

developing new technologies for the preservation of rare, damaged, and deteriorating sound recordings of immense value to our cultural heritage.

forging a new conception of the practice of American music in compositions for his ensembles, cross-disciplinary collaborations, and scholarly work.

working at the interface of computer science and electrical engineering to improve the speed, reliability, and security of data exchange, particularly in wireless networks.

combining archival research and ethnographic observation to illuminate largely ignored crises of care in both the developing and developed world.

unearthing richly informative, but often underutilized, sources of data to investigate the impact of climate change on crop production and global food security.

evoking a sense of our shared humanity in works that explore the diversity of the African American experience and imbue the lives of ordinary people with epic significance.

translating statistical theory into powerful tools for evaluating and customizing treatment regimens for individuals coping with chronic or relapsing disorders.

investigating fundamental questions about the nervous system and developing new kinds of prosthetic devices and robots.

revitalizing classical ballet with a distinctive style that honors the past while infusing a modern sensibility to interpretations of the standard repertoire as well as his own works.

advancing our ability to simulate, manipulate, and control novel states of matter through fundamental conceptual research on ultra-cold atoms.

blending fantastical elements with psychological realism to construct wildly imaginative settings and characters in tales of transformation and redemption.

adapting fundamental maxims of existing planetary science to create a comprehensive theoretical framework for determining the characteristics of planets beyond our solar system.

finding solutions to complex immigration issues faced by military personnel and contributing to policy debates about the role of a healthy immigration system in ensuring national security.

examining the legacy of African American identity, class, and culture in cinéma vérité–style works that incorporate elements of folklore, multimedia collage, and experimental printing methods.