After mistaking call as spam, Bay Area resident wins MacArthur ‘genius grant’

Stanford University organic chemist Song Lin has received an $800,000 award, with no strings attached, for his creativity.

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The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation announced that Lin was among the 20 winners of its annual fellowship on Tuesday. Lin, a Palo Alto resident, ignored the calls from an unfamiliar number several times before finally answering to learn of his award about a month ago. 

“It felt surreal,” Lin told SFGATE on Tuesday. “I still feel disbelief.”

Lin, a chemistry professor at Stanford, is a pioneer in developing innovative methods of building large, complex organic molecules. He’s bridging electrochemistry and the life sciences to find faster, more sustainable ways to create synthetic drugs. Electrochemistry, which uses electricity to drive chemical reactions, can replace the traditionally used chemicals with more environmentally friendly materials. 

“We make molecules, and molecules are really important in all aspects of life,” Lin told SFGATE. “Most recently approved FDA drugs are organic molecules. The fuels we use are made of organic molecules. Even our clothes are often made of them. We’re trying to find out ways to make these molecules faster but also more with higher precision, and this is important for addressing the current environmental and health crises.”

This year’s winners of the so-called “genius grants” include other scientists but also a poet, dancer, several historians and an anthropologist. 

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Since 1981, more than 1,000 people have received this award, meeting its selection criteria for extraordinary creativity, proven achievement and promise for future breakthroughs.  

The MacArthur Fellowship defines “creativity” as the “drive and ability to make something new or to connect the seemingly unconnected in significant ways. It enriches our understanding of ourselves, our communities, and the world we inhabit.”