Two Columbia Professors Win MacArthur Foundation "Genius" Grants

Research on volcanic eruptions and on the structure of abstract graphs have resulted in two Columbia professors being named MacArthur Fellows, the "genius" awards given to individuals who have shown "extraordinary originality and dedication in their creative pursuits." Terry A. Plank , a professor of earth and environmental sciences with Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory , and Maria Chudnovsky , an associate professor of industrial engineering and operations research at the Fu Foundation School of Engineering and Applied Science , are among the 23 fellows named for 2012. Like all MacArthur Fellows, they were nominated anonymously by their colleagues. They will receive $500,000 in a no-strings grant paid out over five years by the MacArthur Foundation. Known informally as the "genius" award, the fellowship makes no requirement of the winners except the expectation that they will continue create and explore their extraordinary work. Plank (GSAS'93) studies volcanoes, particularly in and around the Pacific Ocean. "I'm interested in how much gas they have in them before they erupt, how much water is dissolved in magma before it erupts," Plank told Columbia College Today last year.