Point Loma Nazarene University (PLNU) today announced that Gemma Tarlach, a Wisconsin.-based associate editor of Discover Magazine, has been named the recipient of PLNU’s 2013 Kyoto Prize Journalism Fellowship and will attend the 29th annual Kyoto Prize events in Japan.

Tarlach is an accomplished fiction and non-fiction writer whose journalism contributions have been seen in The Milwaukee Journal Sentinel, Dallas Morning News, Rolling Stone, TimeOut New York and Discover Magazine, among other publications. An avid traveler and accomplished chef who has lived on four continents including Antarctica, Tarlach's travel and lifestyle writing has been recognized by The Inland Press Association as well as The Livingston Awards for Young Journalists, which twice named her a national finalist. When not hiking, volunteering, reading, traveling, training for a triathlon or editing, she devotes her time to creative writing. She has published one novel, has two others in development, and is currently finishing a collection of short stories.

Tarlach will participate in educational opportunities culminating in this year’s Kyoto Prize awards ceremony on November 10, followed by lectures, workshops and one-on-one discussions with the newest Kyoto Prize laureates.  They include Dr. Robert Dennard, an IBM Fellow recognized for inventing Dynamic Random Access Memory; Dr. Masatoshi Nei, an evolutionary biologist whose discoveries have illuminated evolutionary divergence and genetic diversity; and Cecil Taylor, a jazz pianist and music visionary at the forefront of the 'free jazz' movement.

"The 2013 Kyoto Prize laureates all offer unique perspectives in their related fields with a lifetime of experience and passion, and Gemma Tarlach is equally as intriguing as an author and journalist who knowledgably covers a broad range of fields with an unbridled spirit,” said Dr. Bob Brower, PLNU president. “We’re honored to provide Tarlach the opportunity to learn more about the impressive work of the laureates and the prestigious Kyoto Prize by providing direct access to the Kyoto Prize events in Japan.”

For more information about the Kyoto Prize, visit www.kyotoprize.org/en/.


About Point Loma Nazarene University
Point Loma Nazarene University is a private liberal arts university located in San Diego, California, with graduate program regional centers throughout Southern California. Home to approximately 2,400 undergraduates and 1,100 graduate students, PLNU is committed to providing higher education in a vital Christian community where minds are engaged and challenged, character is modeled and formed, and service becomes an expression of faith.  PLNU’s Kyoto Prize Journalism Fellowship is an equal-opportunity program awarded exclusively on the basis of merit without regard to personal or religious affiliations or attributes.

About the Inamori Foundation and the Kyoto Prize
The non-profit Inamori Foundation was established in 1984 by Dr. Kazuo Inamori, founder and chairman emeritus of Kyocera Corporation, founder of and honorary adviser to KDDI Corporation, and chairman emeritus of Japan Airlines. The Foundation created the Kyoto Prize in 1985, in line with Dr. Inamori’s belief that a human being has no higher calling than to strive for the greater good of society, and that the future of humanity can be assured only when there is a balance between our scientific progress and our spiritual depth. With the 2013 laureates, the prize has honored 93 individuals and one foundation — collectively representing 15 nations. Individual laureates range from scientists, engineers and researchers to philosophers, painters, architects, sculptors, musicians and film directors. The United States has produced the most recipients (39), followed by Japan (16), the United Kingdom (12), and France (8). More information can be found at www.kyotoprize.org/en/.