Meet the 2005 MacArthur Fellows

introducing a varied and challenging repertoire with a unique presentation approach and newly interpreting classical music to orchestras and audiences alike.

fusing the roles of applied scientist and lobsterman to respond to increasing threats to the fishery ecosystem and to suggest needed changes in fisheries management.

raising the profile of the book as one of humankind’s greatest inventions and as an integral part of the history of technology and human communication.

capturing riveting and wrenching stories that depict the lives and realities of children in overlooked and under-explored conditions.

transforming the quality of life for South Bronx residents by creating new opportunities for transportation, recreation, nutrition, and economic development.

probing the complexities of synaptic transmission in the brain, gaining new insights into the processes of learning and memory.

reducing preventable drug and drug delivery mistakes by formulating solutions and giving national visibility to the ubiquitous and serious problems of medication error in the healthcare industry.

introducing to a venerable craft new strategies, expertise, and materials to produce new and world-class violins for the twenty-first century.

opening access for increased numbers of minorities to careers in classical music and giving voice to diverse talent and perspective in American symphonies.

integrating architecture and the optical effects of color and light into exquisitely constructed, contemplative spaces.

creating state-of-the-art lasers for novel applications in environmental monitoring, clinical diagnoses, chemical process control, and homeland security.

applying rigorous analyses and interventions to transform women’s healthcare around the world and to reduce female morbidity and mortality in underserved populations.

studying, documenting, and protecting the endangered, diverse, and previously unknown plants and animals of Madagascar.

exploring the structure and activity of proteins, and developing new methods for synthesizing drugs and other biologically active molecules.

reconstructing the emergence of multicellular organisms from unicellular life and shedding new light on the development of genes and the process of evolution.

revealing the deep structure of complex networks such as genomes or computer networks, and creating new methods to extract the information embedded in them.

weaving the conventions of noir mysteries, westerns, science fiction, and comic books into narratives that explore the relationship between high art and popular culture.

identifying within fluids, such as molten magma and subterranean water, clues for understanding basic geological forces and forecasting of seismic activity on earth and beyond.

revealing fundamental insights into the physical basis for chemical reactions by developing new strategies for computing the quantum mechanical properties of complex molecules.

creating dazzling, layered pictorial planes of geometric abstractions, iconic imagery, and figurative markings that transform canvases into visually compelling excavations of multiple epochs and locales.

revealing economic forces shaping vital social phenomena such as wage inequality, unemployment, addiction, medical research, and economic growth.

translating findings on the molecular genetics of breast cancer in African-American and African women into innovative clinical practices in the United States and abroad.

using the personalizing power of portraiture to bring the faces of the world’s displaced people into focus.

bridging the history of the United States and the histories of technology, science, sound, and acoustics to examine transformations in the American soundscape.

designing and implementing inventive, cost-effective programs to improve air quality for populations around the globe.