A man with short, curly dark hair wearing a black button-up shirt stands outside in front of a blurred metal fence and brick building, looking calmly at the camera.
A man with short, curly dark hair wearing a black button-up shirt stands outside in front of a blurred metal fence and brick building, looking calmly at the camera.

Jad Abumrad

Science, Society & Culture Advisory Board Member

Affiliations
  • Simons Foundation

Jad Abumrad is a composer, artist and journalist and the creator of “Radiolab,” “Dolly Parton’s America,” “Fela Kuti: Fear No Man” and many other podcasts that collectively have been downloaded over one billion times. He has been called a “master of the radio craft” for his unique ability to combine cutting edge sound-design, cinematic storytelling and a personal approach to explaining complex topics, from the stochasticity of tumor cells to the mathematics of morality. Abumrad studied creative writing and music composition at Oberlin College. He composed much of the music for “Radiolab,” and has composed music for film, theater and dance. Abumrad has received four Peabody Awards, the highest honor in broadcasting, and two DuPont Awards. In 2011, he received a MacArthur  Fellowship. He is currently a Distinguished Professor of Research at Vanderbilt University.