Biography

Professor John Kaplan
University of Florida Research Foundation Professor

Professor John Kaplan is one of America's most accomplished photojournalists. In 1992, his project about the diverse lifestyles of American 21-year-olds was awarded the Pulitzer Prize for Feature Photography. In 1989, Mr Kaplan was named Photographer of the Year in the annual Pictures of the Year contest. That same year, he received the Robert F Kennedy Award for outstanding coverage of the disadvantaged in the United States. In 2003, Kaplan's project on survivors of torture in West Africa was awarded the Overseas Press Club Award for Feature Photography, the Harry Chapin Media Award for Photojournalism, and was also recognized for international photojournalism by the Robert F Kennedy Foundation. He has twice been named a photography juror for the Pulitzer Prizes.

Professor Kaplan has taught at the London Center of Syracuse University, Ball State University, and also as a Knight Fellow at Ohio University. Since 1999, Professor Kaplan has been teaching international journalism, photojournalism, and design at the College of Journalism and Communications of University of Florida.

In 2000, Professor Kaplan founded an international reporting program known as the Florida FlyIns. Each fall, he takes a group of journalism and mass communication students to a country in Latin America to learn about the principles and techniques of international journalism. In 2003, the Florida FlyIns website, www.internationaljournalism.com, placed first in the nation in the international Best of Photojournalism competition, the only award that went to a student-affiliated website. The only other first place winners were the New York Times, Washington Post and Rochester Times-Union.

Professor Kaplan served on, the Accrediting Council on Education in Journalism and Mass Communications. He was named as the 2005-2006 University of Florida International Educator of the Year and also appointed as a University of Florida Research Foundation Professor.

Before joining academia, Professor Kaplan worked for Spokane Spokesman-Review (1983-1984), Pittsburgh Press (1984-1990), Block Newspapers and Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (1990-1992), where he was awarded the Pulitzer. His freelance clients have included Life, Fortune, and Travel and Leisure.

From 1992 to 1999, he was the founder and director of the Media Alliance consulting group, whose clients included the Seattle Times, Concord (NH) Monitor, Copley Chicago Newspapers, and the Ft. Lauderdale Sun-Sentinel.

Professor Kaplan frequently lectures, leads workshops and exhibits throughout the world. He is the author of two books including Photo Portfolio Success, published in 2003.