Margaret M. Murnane has been awarded a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation fellowship, also known as a "genius grant." Murnane, a professor of physics at the University of Colorado in Boulder and member of the board of directors of the Optical Society of America, will receive an unrestricted stipend of $500,000 over five years.

The foundation recognized Murnane's research in applied optical physics, noting her contribution to the understanding of the interaction of light and matter through her work with laser pulse generation. Twenty-five fellows were selected based on their creativity and potential to realize future accomplishments in their fields.