Professor at the U Receives $500,000 Grant

A professor and entomologist at the University of Minnesota received a $500,000 grant from the MacArthur foundation on Tuesday.

Marla Spivak, 55, was told to be in her office to meet someone for an interview. The individual never showed up, but instead, Spivak received a phone call from the MacArthur foundation saying she receive the 'genius grant', reported The Pioneer Press.

"It was a complete surprise," she said. ""I'm very honored. I'm really humbled by this."

The Star Tribune reported that colleagues and students call Spivak's research "innovative," "inventive" and even "out-there." Hopefully, that will help stir plans for how she will utilize the money.

As for now, one of Spivak's plans is to try and gain support for a new bee research lab at the U.