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Professor Samuelson and acting associate professor Wacquant.



Two more MacArthur "geniuses"

Two UC Berkeley professors whose work focuses on the issues of today-urban poverty and ownership of electronic information-have been awarded highly prized MacArthur Fellowships.

Professor Pamela Samuelson, who holds a joint appointment with the School of Information Management and Systems and the School of Law (Boalt Hall), was recognized for advancing the emerging field of intellectual property law.

Sociologist Loïc J.D. Wacquant, an acting associate professor of sociology and a native of France, has written extensively on urban poverty and inequality in America and Europe and on social theory. He is working on a "carnal sociology" of prizefighting as "bodily craft."

The two are among 23 new fellows announced June 16 by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. The fellowships range from $150,000 to $375,000 over five years, depending on the age of the recipient. Samuelson will receive $295,000 and Wacquant $235,000.

Samuelson, co-director of the law school's Center for Law and Technology, has become a bridge between computing professionals and the legal community in adapting copyright law to the new electronic environment. Wacquant is launching a new project on "The Rise of the Darwinist State in America" and the substitution of penal for social policy.

The MacArthur Foundation imposes no restrictions on how its money is used. Individuals cannot apply for MacArthur Fellowships, which have become known as "genius" awards because the foundation seeks out people, rather than projects or organizations, who are experts in their field and exhibit exceptional creativity.

With these awards, the number of MacArthur Fellows from UC Berkeley totals 22.


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