Dr. Jennifer A. Richeson of Northwestern University says that she’s no genius, despite being awarded a $500,000 John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation grant which has been dubbed the “genius” award.
The 34-year-old associate professor of psychology recently received the distinguished recognition after she and 24 other individuals were selected by a 12-member panel for contributing creative excellence to their various fields.
“I’m happy that the work has been recognized and I’m incredibly honored,” says Richeson, “but I don’t consider myself to be a genius at all … I’m just a regular person.”
In selecting Richeson and the others, the Chicago-based foundation noted that the fellows were chosen because their work demonstrated an unmatched level of originality, dedication and creativity.
Richeson and Dr. John A. Rich, who chairs the health management and policy program at Drexel University, were recognized for their expertise on issues surrounding race. Richeson in particular was selected because of her work in studying interactions between races.
“I find it all so interesting,” she said in an interview a few days after receiving a call on her cell phone notifying her that she was selected. “Thinking about how we navigate diverse environments; it’s so multifaceted.”
Through methodological techniques, Richeson evaluates the behavior of individuals during interracial conversations or interactions. An individual’s body language, direct eye gaze, tone of voice and speech patterns are all indicators of how comfortable a person may or may not be in a particular situation, she says.
