‘Genius Grant’ for Leader of College-Access Group

Deborah Bial, the founder and president of the Posse Foundation, which aims to increase student diversity at selective U.S. colleges, was named last week as one of this year’s 24 MacArthur Fellows by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

The so-called “genius grant” amounts to a no-strings-attached award of $500,000 over five years.

“It feels so mind-boggling to be honored with that,” Ms. Bial said in an interview. While she said she hadn’t yet decided what to do with the money, she “definitely” planned to stay on at the New York City-based Posse Foundation and to try...