Shapiro receives MacArthur Fellow Award
Beth Shapiro, Shaffer Career Development Assistant Professor of Biology at Penn State, has been selected as a MacArthur Fellow by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. According to the foundation, the prestigious award is given to talented individuals, in a variety of fields, who have shown exceptional creativity, originality, dedication to their creative pursuits and potential to make important contributions in the future. MacArthur Fellows receive $500,000 grants that come without stipulations and reporting requirements and that offer Fellows unprecedented freedom and opportunity to reflect, create and explore. Shapiro is one of 24 new MacArthur Fellows named in 2009 in fields ranging from art to physics. Nominated anonymously by leaders in their respective fields and never notified of their candidacy, the recipients learn of their selection only when they receive a call from the MacArthur Foundation. (more)