Jay Rubenstein, a medieval historian and an associate professor at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, is one of the 24 MacArthur fellows for 2007. These fellowships, awarded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation, are often called “genius awards” and come with a “no strings attached” $500,000 prize. Recipients are chosen for “their creativity, originality, and potential to make important contributions in the future.” Among this year’s recipients are individuals from a variety of professions and fields, including a spider silk biologist, a master vocalist, and an education strategist, to name a few. To read more about these fellowships and those who were given them in 2007, see the MacArthur Fellows page online.

This post first appeared on AHA Today.