Gaylord College to honor Judy Woodruff with award this fall

The Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communications announced Friday that the 2012 Gaylord Prize will be given to Judy Woodruff, a journalist with three decades of experience with CNN, NBC and PBS.

The Gaylord Prize honors a nationally recognized journalism professional who has represented a high ethical standard for the next generation, according to the prize's site.

Woodruff spent 12 years working for CNN, anchoring its weekday program “Inside Politics," according to her biography on the PBS website. At PBS, she anchored the award-winning series “Frontline with Judy Woodruff." At NBC, she served as the White House correspondent.

Woodruff also is the founding co-chair of the International Women’s Media Foundation, which encourages women in the communication industry, according to her biography. She is the recent recipient of the Cine Lifetime Achievement Award and Duke Distinguished Alumni Award.

Kristen Lazalier, director of development at the college, said the event will be held this fall. Woodruff will have lunch with faculty, staff and students — as well as donors and alumni — and discuss with them where she believes journalism is headed, Lazalier said.

Lazalier said she also wants a chance to expose more students to Woodruff.

“The goal is to have her come to the college and speak to a class or two to get one-on-one time with students,” Lazalier said.

The event and prize itself is funded out of the Gaylord Endowment, part of the original $21 million donated by the Gaylord family in 2000, Lazalier said.

Lazalier and the Gaylord College will be working with Woodruff over the next few weeks to determine a date for the event.

Nathan Robertson

Nathan is a former staff member of The Oklahoma Daily who worked as Campus Reporter.