CLEMSON, S.C. — A Clemson University professor noted by his colleagues for an uncommon ability to intertwine "emotional connections with scientific facts" has earned extremely rare recognition by way of a MacArthur Foundation "genius grant."
J. Drew Lanham, a Clemson Alumni Distinguished Professor of Wildlife Ecology, told university officials that he doesn't plan to add "genius" to the titles he would consider using for himself, preferring instead "wondering wanderer" and "man in love with nature."
But he is honored nonetheless by the recognition from the MacArthur Foundation.
He also said he was speechless and a bit shocked when he received the congratulatory call from the organization. And the reaction is understandable.
Each year, the MacArthur Foundation names recipients of its fellowship, an honor commonly known as a "genius grant" to the general public. According to the organization, the fellowship is a five-year grant to those who "show exceptional creativity in their work and the prospect for still more in the future."
To aid in that future work, fellows are awarded an $800,000 stipend over the course of the five-year period with no conditions attached. Recipients like Lanham are nominated anonymously from a changing pool of "invited external nominators."
The dean of the College of Agriculture, Forestry and Life Sciences at Clemson, Keith Belli, said that Lanham is unique in that he has extensive knowledge of nature from a scientific perspective while also being "one of those rare individuals who leads from his heart."
While an analytical view of nature is part of any scientific endeavor, the university suggests colleagues take particular notice of Lanham's uncanny ability to communicate through the art forms of poetry and storytelling. It's through these retellings that this "heart" shines through.
In an interview with the university, Nicholas Vazsonyi, the dean of the College of Architecture, Arts and Humanities said that Lanham has an understanding that the fields are "interconnected and interdependent."
"Whatever academic discipline we pursue, being able to communicate it in writing brings it alive and to the public," Vazsonyi said. "That is the most powerful part of Drew's gift to us all."
Lanham has also used his knowledge in these fields to look at the historical relationship of African Americans to the land and nature which can be seen in his 2016 book, "The Home Place: Memoirs of a Colored Man's Love Affair with Nature."
Clemson, in recognizing his latest achievement, also added that Lanham's 2013 essay "9 Rules for Black Birdwatchers" tackled "veiled threats and armed passersby."
"No one has done more to demonstrate how racial identity, art, and science can interweave in ways that transforms the disciplines of both art and science. It is a truly unique gift, and we are so grateful to have him as a close colleague,” Professor Todd Petty with Clemson's Department of Forestry and Environmental Conservation told the university in a recent interview.
Lanham said the MacArthur Foundation Fellowship serves as validation of his work in fields that "don't always fit in a normal way of thinking" - science, art, literature, and social activism.
“We are a university after all, and ultimately I think the goal should be to affect our world and universe in some bigger way," he told the university.
