Geerat J. Vermeij, an expert in the history of life and evolutionary biology at UC Davis, is one of 33 "highly talented individuals" across the country recognized recently with a prestigious MacArthur Fellowship. The five-year stipends, sometimes called "genius grants," are awarded through the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation. One of five in California to receive a grant -- including one other UC professor at Berkeley -- Vermeij will receive $280,000 to use as he wishes. A professor in the geology department, Vermeij uses shells to investigate a variety of research questions about factors that influence the present and past distribution of organisms, as well as their characteristics. He teaches several courses, including a course on shells and the lessons they provide about major biological principles. The author of nearly 90 papers and two books in his field, Vermeij also has written several articles on teaching and education for the blind and visually impaired.