Jenna Jambeck, Distinguished Professor of Environmental Engineering at the University of Georgia, received a 2022 MacArthur Fellowship for her research into oceanic plastic pollution.
Known by many as the ‘Genius Grant,’ the MacArthur Fellowship invests $800,000 into innovative individuals across various industries with one central promise: there are ‘no strings attached’ to the grant money. The Fellow can use their grant as they choose to advance their work, start new projects, or switch careers, according to their website.
In 2015, Jambeck was published in the journal Science for research calculating that 8 million metric tons of plastic waste pollutes oceans each year -- the first estimate of its kind. By 2020, Jambeck was invited by National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine to assess the U.S.'s production of oceanic plastic waste. She has since been appointed to the NOAA Marine Debris Foundation’s inaugural board.