Jad Abumrad
Thursday, February 1, 2018
11:10 a.m.
“Gut Churn”
Jad Abumrad, who studied creative writing and music composition in college, is the creator and host of “Radiolab,” one of public radio’s most popular programs. Broadcast on more than 520 stations nationally and downloaded more than nine million times a month as a podcast, “Radiolab” combines dialogue, music, interviews and sound effects to create documentaries that explore potentially intimidating topics ranging from the evolution of altruism to the legal foundation for the war on terror.
“Radiolab” has been recognized twice—2010 and 2015—with the prestigious George Foster Peabody Award. In 2011, Abumrad was named a MacArthur Fellow, an honor commonly known as a “genius grant.” In 2016, he premiered “More Perfect,” a spinoff of “Radiolab” which explores untold stories about the Supreme Court. Abumrad also produced and hosted “The Ring & I,” a look at the enduring power of Wagner’s “Ring Cycle.” It earned 10 awards, including 2005’s National Headliner Grand Award in Radio.