Congratulations to Edith Widder for obtaining a MacArthur Fellow.
Edith Widder is a biologist and deep-sea explorer who combines expertise in oceanographic research and technological innovation with commitment to reversing the worldwide trend of marine ecosystem degradation.
More information on the MacArthur Fellowship.
The MacArthur Fellowship is a five-year grant to individuals who show exceptional creativity in their work and the prospect for still more in the future. The fellowship is designed to provide recipients with the flexibility to pursue their creative activities in the absence of specific obligations or reporting requirements. There are no limits on age or area of activity. Individuals cannot apply for this award; they must be nominated.
And here’s a story from USA Today:
When Edith Widder picked up the phone Wednesday, she was expecting to talk to a reporter for a scheduled interview. Instead, she got the call of a lifetime. “It was the best kind of trick,” she said.Widder, 55, a deep-sea explorer in Fort Pierce, Fla., learned she was one of 25 recipients to win $500,000 from the MacArthur Foundation Fellows Program.
…
Widder, an inventor of new technologies to study underwater life, says she plans on using the money to start a not-for-profit organization dedicated to the study and protection of marine ecosystems.
“This money couldn’t have come at a better time,” says Widder, co-founder and director of the Ocean Research and Conservation Association. “Our lofty goal is to become the premier marine organization in the U.S.”
