Deborah Bial Founder and President
Posse Foundation
New York, New York
Age: 42 More details
Education Strategist addressing the challenges of college access for underrepresented populations by identifying and fostering latent talent and reframing college admissions into a more inclusive process.
Peter Cole Co-founder and Co-editor
Ibis Editions
Jerusalem, Israel
Age: 50 More details
Translator/Poet/Publisher offering a unique vision of the cultural, religious, and linguistic interactions that were and are possible among peoples of the Middle East.
Lisa Cooper Professor, Division of General Internal Medicine and Department of Epidemiology
Johns Hopkins University, School of Medicine and Bloomberg School of Public Health
Baltimore, Maryland
Age: 44 More details
Public Health Physician improving the quality of medical care for minorities in the United States by analyzing and developing new approaches to patient-physician communication.
Ruth DeFries University of Maryland / College Park
College Park, Maryland
Age: 50 More details
Environmental Geographer combining remote satellite imagery and a deep understanding of the environmental effects of agriculture and urbanization to illuminate key processes transforming our planet.
Mercedes Doretti Argentine Forensic Anthropology Team
Brooklyn, New York
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Age: 48 More details
Forensic Anthropologist unearthing evidence of crimes against humanity and seeking justice on behalf of populations whose immense losses have been omitted from the historical record.
Stuart Dybek Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois
Age: 65 More details
Short Story Writer paying tribute to the literature and iconography of the Old World while exploring the imaginations of contemporary American communities.
Marc Edwards Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University
Blacksburg, Virginia
Age: 43 More details
Water Quality Engineer analyzing the chemistry and toxicity of drinking water supplies in America’s largest cities and making critical contributions to an often-neglected area of public safety.
Michael Elowitz California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, California
Age: 37 More details
Molecular Biologist laying the groundwork for the next stage of the genomics revolution – understanding how genes interact.
Saul Griffith Squid Labs
Alameda, California
Age: 33 More details
Inventor engineering innovations spanning optics, high-performance materials, and nanotechnology in the service of the world community.
Sven Haakanson Alutiiq Museum
Kodiak, Alaska
Age: 40 More details
Alutiiq Curator/Anthropologist/Preservationist reviving and giving contemporary meaning to indigenous languages, customs, and culture in an isolated region of North America.
Corey Harris Unaffiliated
Charlottesville, Virginia
Age: 38 More details
Blues Musician leading a revival of Mississippi Delta blues by infusing traditional styles with influences from jazz, reggae gospel, and African and Caribbean folk styles.
Cheryl Hayashi University of California / Riverside
Riverside, California
Age: 40 More details
Spider Silk Biologist integrating the understanding of spider phylogenetics and the development of such biomimetic materials as biodegradable fishing lines, sutures, and protective armor cloth.
My Hang Huynh Los Alamos National Laboratory
Los Alamos, New Mexico
Age: 45 More details
Chemist developing novel techniques for synthesizing highly energetic compounds, such as explosives, that substitute benign elements for environmentally toxic heavy metals and improve the safety of workers and military personnel who handle these materials.
Claire Kremen University of California / Berkeley
Berkeley, California
Age: 46 More details
Conservation Biologist exploring the behavior of bees and other natural pollinators and their critical but often overlooked role in the global food web.
Whitfield Lovell Unaffiliated
New York, New York
Age: 47 More details
Painter/Installation Artist paying tribute to the daily lives of anonymous African-Americans through poetic and intricately constructed tableaux.
Yoky Matsuoka University of Washington / Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Age: 36 More details
Computer Scientist and Neuroroboticist devising complex prosthetic devices and rehabilitation strategies that hold life-changing potential for those suffering from brain injuries and manipulation disabilities.
Lynn Nottage Unaffiliated
Brooklyn, New York
Age: 42 More details
Playwright exploring periods of American history from unexpected vantage points and addressing some of society’s most complex issues with empathy and humor.
Mark Roth Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center
Seattle, Washington
Age: 49 More details
Biomedical Scientist experimenting with new procedures for temporary reduction in metabolism that may one day extend the time available to surgeons to perform critical, live-saving procedures.
Paul Rothemund California Institute of Technology
Pasadena, California
Age: 35 More details
Nanotechnologist folding DNA to create complex shapes and patterns that provide a platform for building circuits, molecular switches, and other nanodevices of the future.
Jay Rubenstein University of Tennessee / Knoxville
Knoxville, Tennessee
Age: 40 More details
Medieval Historian shining vivid light on how violent events such as the First Crusade are recorded and remembered by future generations.
Jonathan Shay Department of Veteran Affairs Outpatient Clinic
Boston, Massachusetts
Age: 65 More details
Clinical Psychiatrist/Classicist drawing parallels between ancient texts and the experiences of Vietnam veterans that deepen our understanding of the effects of warfare on individuals highlight the role of military policy in promoting the physical and mental safety of soldiers.
Joan Snyder Unaffiliated
Brooklyn, New York
Age: 67 More details
Painter creating fiercely individual, abstract paintings that are rooted in memory and convey universal and readily understood emotions.
Dawn Upshaw Unaffiliated
Bronxville, New York
Age: 47 More details
Master Vocalist stretching the boundaries of operatic and concert singing and enriching the landscape of contemporary performance through her advocacy of established and emerging composers.
Shen Wei Shen Wei Dance Arts
New York, New York
Age: 39 More details
Choreographer drawing from Western dance traditions as well as Chinese opera, acrobatics, and martial arts to create bold and visually arresting dance-theater.
