UB Law Alumna Receives MacArthur “Genius” Grant

BUFFALO, N.Y. -- University at Buffalo Law School alumna Sara Horowitz, who created a new organization called Working Today to provide benefits and services to people working in temporary, part-time, contract or independent employment, has been awarded a prestigious "genius" fellowship from The John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation.

Horowitz, who graduated from the UB law school in 1992, has served as a labor attorney, union organizer and public defender in New York City.

Founded in 1995, Working Today offers more than 95,000 members such services as affordable health insurance, technical assistance, legal services and retirement investment plans.

Members range from temporary, minimum-wage earners to more affluent employees in new high-tech jobs.

It is estimated that almost 30 percent of U.S. workers lack the leverage necessary to negotiate for goods and services because they are not formally affiliated with an institution.

Horowitz's efforts have established her as an increasingly important voice in policy debates on issues such as jobs, pension and health-insurance portability and social-security-tax relief for independent workers.

She is one of 32 fellows selected this year to receive unrestricted support, ranging from $200,000 to $375,000 over five years, to pursue their ideas and projects. Horowitz will receive $275,000.

A resident of New York City, Horowitz earned a bachelor's degree from Cornell University and a master's degree in public health from the Kennedy School of Government at Harvard University.

She lives in New York City.