The MacArthur Foundation has unveiled its latest cohort of 20 MacArthur Fellows, a group distinguished by their exceptional creativity and potential for impactful contributions. Among the recipients are several researchers whose work operates at the critical intersection of science and justice.
Kate Spradley, a forensic anthropologist at Texas State University, was recognized for her efforts to restore dignity to marginalized migrants. In 2013, Spradley encountered a significant challenge during what should have been a routine exhumation in Brooks County, Texas. Funeral home staff informed her that they did not know the location of the grave she sought to access.
Spradley discovered that more than a hundred Central American migrants who had died while crossing the border were also buried in unmarked plots. She described this practice as illegal and a severe human rights violation. “Everyone should have dignity in death,” Spradley stated, emphasizing the trauma inflicted on families who are left without knowledge of their loved ones’ final resting places. This realization led to a comprehensive effort to exhume the entire cemetery.
Each fellow receives an $800,000 stipend distributed over five years with no attached restrictions. The current class also features Felipe De Brigard, who works at the interface of science and ethics. Other honorees include a bioengineer developing nanotechnologies for improved vaccine delivery, a climate scientist studying polar sea ice dynamics, and an organic chemist utilizing electricity to create complex molecules more sustainably.
Spradley’s work specifically focuses on identifying individuals like Elmer Esau Barahona, a young man from El Salvador who fled gang violence in 2012. By applying forensic science to these mass graves, researchers aim to turn unidentified remains into named individuals, providing closure to families and advancing the understanding of migration crises along the southern border.
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