Every year, the UW Department of Communication gives several outstanding students a Kaplan Award for their excellence in narrative writing in the categories of: people on the margins, strong writing style, a human personality profile, a strong epiphany, and an important public issue. This award is presented in honor of Deborah Kaplan, who was known for her immersion journalism, relentless investigative reporting, and in-depth interviewing. After joining the faculty of the UW Department of Communication in 2003, Kaplan experienced an apparent heart attack, which led to her unexpected death in 2006 at age 53.
2015 Kaplan Award winners:
Summer > People on the Margins: Baxter Byrd – Intersection
Strong Writing Style: Joanna Kresge – Friendship 2,289.6 Miles Later
Human Personality Profile: Jeanny Rhee – A Culinary Shift, Locked Up
Strong Epiphany: Mary Herman – Death and Dependency
Important Public Issue: Natanielle Thangamany – Family Rules
Fall > People on the Margins: Clare McGrane – Outside Gender: An Intersex Memoir (radio)
Strong Writing Style: Warren Langford – Many Happy Returns: Nine years working at one of the last indie video stores in America
Human Personality Profile: Erica Largent – “Make them feel known”: Helping Seattle’s Homeless Youth
Strong Epiphany: Ann Huynh – A house is not a home
Explanatory Journalism (Temporarily replacing “Important Public Issue” category): Alexander Tran – New Tokyo Teriyaki Exudes Old School Determination and Hospitality
Winter > People on the Margins: Karina Mazhukhina – Unraveling the Mysterious Mind of Richard Ruston
Strong Writing Style: Holly Thorpe – Sunflowers in January
Human Personality Profile: Jacky Graham – Back to Church
Strong Epiphany: Quy Nguyen – Mother’s Vietnam
Important Public Issue: Aga Afeworki – History
These stories and more are archived on the Kaplan Quarterly website. The newest edition can be found here >>