Two Black Professors Are Named MacArthur Fellows

The Chicago-based MacArthur Foundation has announced the selection of 21 individuals in this year’s class of MacArthur Fellows. The honors, frequently referred to as the “Genius Awards,” include a $625,000 stipend over the next five years which the individuals can use as they see fit.

Of this year’s 21 MacArthur Fellows, two are African Americans with current ties to the academic world.

Jennifer L. Eberhardt is an associate professor of psychology at Stanford University in California. Her research focuses on how race impacts police behavior and how it affects sentencing decisions by judges and juries. Dr. Eberhardt has been affiliated with Stanford University since 1998. Previously, she taught at Yale University. Dr. Eberhardt is a graduate of the University of Cincinnati. She holds a Ph.D. from Harvard University.

Terrance Hayes is a professor of writing in the department of English at the University of Pittsburgh. He is an accomplished poet and his published efforts include Wind in a Box (Penguin, 2006) and Lighthead (Penguin, 2010). Professor Hayes joined the faculty at the University of Pittsburgh in 2013. He previously taught at Xavier University of Louisiana and Carnegie Mellon University. A graduate of Coker College in Hartsville, South Carolina, Professor Hayes earned a master of fine arts degree from the University of Pittsburgh.