Dorothy Roberts Named MacArthur Fellow

Roberts, George A. Weiss University Professor of Law and Sociology, was honored for “exposing racial inequities embedded in social service systems and uplifting the experiences of people caught up in them.”

Fall/Winter 2024
Roberts Dorothy

(Image: Courtesy of MacArthur Fellows Program)

Dorothy Roberts, George A. Weiss University Professor of Law and Sociology, has been named a 2024 MacArthur Fellow. The honor, commonly known as the “genius grant,” is awarded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation to individuals who show exceptional originality in and dedication to their creative pursuits. Roberts—who has worked for decades as a legal scholar and public policy researcher focused on exposing racial inequities embedded within health and social service systems—was one of 22 fellows named this year.

“The transformative scholarship of Dorothy Roberts focuses on some of the most pressing issues facing our society, addressing inequality, social justice, and race,” says Interim Penn President J. Larry Jameson. “As a scholar, award-winning author, and now MacArthur Fellow, she exemplifies Penn’s commitment to impactful, interdisciplinary, creative pursuits.”