UI Student Wins Award for Article Published on Iowa City Patch

Congrats to local journalist Guannan Huang, a grad student at the University of Iowa, for winning a Mark of Excellence award from the Society of Professional Journalists for Online Feature Writing. The Iowa City Patch story she won the award for is called "" and it focused on the experiences of Chinese students who have come to the University of Iowa to study, why they chose Iowa, and the challenges of becoming adapted to a new culture.

Here is a little about Guannan:

Guannan Huang, 22, a native of Jiangxi Province, China, is a reporter and photographer. 

Huang attended Guangdong University of Foreign Studies in Guangzhou, China, and worked for the campus news agency where she conducted interviews and carried out a variety of reporting assignments, including conference reports, sports and investigative work. After her investigative report on damage to campus public facilities, Huang was appointed to lead the agency’s investigative division. During school breaks, she held internships in various media organizations.

The reporting and writing experience prompted her to seek more professional training in the U.S. because of its free-speech principles and the opportunity to obtain an advanced journalism education. In August, 2010, Huang enrolled in the Master of Arts-Professional in Journalism program in the University of Iowa’s School of Journalism and Mass Communication.

After she came to the United States, Huang started to focus on cross cultural reporting. She is particularly interested in Chinese students' stories in this small Midwestern town. Her story Ni hao, Iowa City! tried to find out the reasons for Chinese students choosing Iowa City instead coastal cities. The two-part feature not only narrated the stories happened on Chinese students but also the special connections between Iowa City and China. 

Huang also writes for Iowa Watch, Daily Iowan and Iowa Journalist. Her online photo gallery: ghng.webbasics.iowajmc.com, captured a Chinese girl's perspective on an uncharted adventure in the United States.

Here are all of the award winners from the region the University of Iowa is in. The final place of the award winners will be announced at the award ceremony at the end of the month.

Category

Entrants

Media Outlet

School

Entry Title

Editorial Writing-4 Year College/University

Kirsten Jacobsen

The Daily Iowan

University of Iowa

"A not-so-small world, after all"

Online Feature Reporting-4 Year College/University

Guannan Huang

Iowa City Patch

University of Iowa

Ni Hao, Iowa City!

Online News Reporting-4 Year College/University

Lauren Mills, Jim Malewitz

IowaWatch

University of Iowa

Iowans fall through gaps in splintered mental health system