Ohio University Scripps College of Communication and School of Visual Communication (VisCom) student Haiyun Jiang was honored with a 2020 Getty Image Inclusion Scholarship, in partnership with the Asian American Journalists Association.
Jiang, who completed her coursework in the photojournalism Master of Arts degree in VisCom and is now pursuing the interdisciplinary Master of Fine Arts degree in the Scripps College, was one of five winners who will receive a $10,000 scholarship.
“I am extremely honored and grateful for this opportunity and highly aware of the power a camera has in shaping narratives and visual representation,” Jiang said. “It is a privilege to be trusted with people's stories and I will continue working hard to tell stories with integrity, honesty, and empathy.”
The scholarships were awarded to five aspiring photojournalists to help tackle wider industry issues of diversity and inclusion and aimed at supporting emerging editorial talent within minority groups, offering aspiring photojournalists the creative means and solutions to pursue education that will enable careers within their industry.
“We are thrilled about this well-deserved honor for Haiyun Jiang,” Scripps College of Communication Dean Dr. Scott Titsworth said. “Her work is tremendous — exactly the kind of creativity and sensitivity we’ve come to expect from our outstanding students.”
Jiang, who is originally from southern China, became passionate about photojournalism when interning at The Hill in Washington, D.C., deciding to further her career in visual communication at OHIO after several veteran photographers suggested she look into the VisCom School.
“I did my research and found a lot of photographers that I admired, such as Carolyn Drake and Randy Olsen, also graduated from this VisCom program,” Jiang explained. “I applied, got accepted and took a field trip to visit OHIO. I fell in love with this adorable college town and was touched by the dedicated photojournalism program faculty.”
Jiang is currently enrolled in the interdisciplinary Master of Fine Arts in Communication Media Arts, which is a partnership between VisCom and two other Scripps schools: The School of Media Arts and Studies and the J. Warren McClure School of Emerging Communication Technologies.
“My goal is to master visual communication tools, such as photography, documentary films, as well as interactive design, to tell stories in an informative and innovative way,” Jiang said. “I also want to pursue visual projects around the world, focusing on climate change and climate refugees.”
To apply for the Getty scholarship, Jiang submitted a portfolio of 15 images from two of her photo projects; “Riverland,” a photographic documentary that explores the impact of Hurricane Katrina, the BP oil spill and now COVID’s effect on the fishing village of Buras on the southeastern coast of Louisiana, and “The Remains at Home,” a photo essay documenting people's living conditions in southeastern Ohio as the past glory of a coal-mining town vanishes.
Along with the images, professors and mentors also submitted letters of recommendations on behalf of Jiang.
“My VisCom professors, Stan Alost, Josh Birnbaum, and Rebecca Sell, have been among the driving forces for my study and pursuit of long-term projects,” Jiang added. “I deeply appreciate their encouragement, expertise, and support during my time at OHIO.”
The Getty Images Inclusion Scholarships partnered with Women Photograph, Creative Access, National Association of Black Journalists, Asian American Journalists Association and the National Association of Hispanic Journalists to award these scholarships and are part of Getty Images’ wider grants program, which, since its inception, has awarded $1.7 million to photographers and filmmakers worldwide.