The MacArthur Fellowship, commonly known as the 'genius grant', is a $500,000, no-strings-attached award for individuals who have shown exceptional creativity in their work and the promise to do more.Daniel Spielman is being recognized for his contributions to theoretical mathematics and computer science, which have fascinating implications for everyday life. His research involves optimization in data transfer, linear programming, graph theory, and much more.In the past two years, Spielman was also awarded a place in the first class of Simons Investigators, receiving a $660,000 research grant over five years, as well as the Rolf Nevanlinna Prize, one of the highest honors in mathematics.See Daniel's page on the Macarthur Foundation site for more details