Cartoonist and author Lynda Barry and geologist Andrea Dutton, both professors at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, have been awarded 2019 MacArthur Fellowships.

The fellowships, also known as genius grants, provide $625,000 stipends to be used as the fellows see fit. Fellows are selected by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation for their exceptional creativity, future promise and potential for the fellowship to advance their work.

“The outstanding work of these professors reflects the vibrancy and innovation of UW–Madison,” says Provost Karl Scholz. “Lynda Barry and Andrea Dutton are extraordinary scholars and we are thrilled about this recognition of their work. We are enormously excited to see their remarkable contributions in the years ahead.”

Barry joined the faculty in 2013 after serving as the spring 2012 artist in residence at the Arts Institute. She is now the Chazen Family Distinguished Chair in Art and a professor of interdisciplinary creativity in the Art Department. Barry is an award-winning artist recognized for her unique style and approachable books and comics.