Harvard mathematician and Mass. graduates awarded MacArthur ‘genius’ grants
A Harvard mathematician and two Massachusetts graduates were chosen as 2025 MacArthur Fellows and honored with a "genius" grant from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, according to a Wednesday announcement.
MacArthur fellows receive a grant of $800,000 over five years and are nominated by peers and communities — they do not apply or interview for the fellowship.
Lauren K. Williams, the Harvard mathematician, was awarded the grant for making significant contributions to mathematical fields by "elucidating unexpected connections between algebraic combinatorics and concepts in other areas of math and physics," according to its website.
"I would hope that someone encountering my work for the first time might find something beautiful — perhaps something that would help them fall more deeply in love with mathematics," she said during an interview with the MacArthur Foundation.
Garrett Bradley was named a 2025 MacArthur Fellow. (John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Photo courtesy of Maarten Nauw)John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. Photo courtesy of Maarten Nauw
Smith College graduate Garrett Bradley was also named a 2025 MacArthur Fellow for her work as a filmmaker and artist. She blends documentary, narrative and experimental cinema to "explore questions of justice, public memory, and cultural visibility," according to the MacArthur Foundation.
"To say that I am honored and deeply moved is true, but doesn't begin to capture the depth of how it feels," says Bradley. "I aim to carry the opportunity as far as it can reach, to share it and give back by continuing to create with the same clarity of purpose, care, and commitment that I believe made this moment possible."
She credits her time at Smith for giving her the "essential ingredients for how to make movies."
Cartographer Margaret Wickens Pearce named a 2025 MacArthur Fellow. (John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation)John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation
Another person who was named as a fellow was cartographer Margaret Wickens Pearce, who obtained her undergraduate and graduate degrees from Clark University in Worcester.
She was named for her work creating maps that "foreground Indigenous Peoples' understanding of land and place," the organization said. She owns Studio 1:1 in Rockland, Maine, where she is a Citizen Potawatomi Nation tribal member.
"I feel very moved to be recognized," Pearce said.
"I feel a responsibility to use the skills and the dedication I have to make change wherever I can," she said.
Clark's president, David Fithian, celebrated her award in a message to the community.
"Please join me in congratulating Dr. Pearce for her achievement, commitment to making our world a better place, and representing Clark so well," he said. "Her contribution to society is important, impactful, and meaningful."
Others named this year from New England include cultural anthropologist Ieva Jusionyte and artist Jeremy Frey.
Four of the 20 recipients of the genius grant last year were from Massachusetts, ranging from an interdisciplinary scholar and writer to an environmental ecologist.
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