SOUTHFIELD, Mich. — A Lawrence Technological University professor has won a national prize in urban journalism studies.
Yidong “Steven” Wang, PhD, is the winner of the 2026 Gene Burd Award for Research in Urban Journalism Studies, given by the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication and the Urban Communication Foundation.
The award recognizes Wang’s scholarship on the Midwestern urban queer press.
“This recognition speaks to the excellence of Dr. Wang’s strong research agenda and is another example of the high-value scholarship coming out of LTU’s Department of Humanities, Social Studies and Communication,” said Paul Jaussen, chair of the department and associate professor of literature at LTU. “This is a very competitive award with many applications every year, and I could not be happier for him and for our department.”
The award includes a $2,500 prize and the opportunity to present preliminary research results at AEJMC’s New Orleans Conference in August.
Wang’s research project, “Sexual Politics, Urban Space, and the Midwestern Queer Press: A Multi-Site Case Study of Chicago and Detroit,” will use Chicago and Detroit for a case study to examine the historical and present entanglement of sexual politics and urban development through the lens of the queer press. The three-member Burd Award Selection Committee selected Wang’s project as recipient because it was impressed with “how well Wang had prepared, in previous research, to carry out this study; how clearly he wrote about the project; and how tightly he tied it to urban spaces that are the center of this award.”
The purpose of the Burd Research Award, now in its eighth year, is “to stimulate research that explains, enlightens, inspires, and improves the practice and study of journalism and communication, in order to advance our understanding of journalism in urban environments.”
The award honors Gene Burd, professor emeritus of journalism at the University of Texas and a pioneer in urban journalism studies.
Lawrence Technological University is one of only 13 independent, technological, comprehensive doctoral universities in the United States. Located in Southfield, Mich., LTU was founded in 1932, and offers more than 100 programs through its Colleges of Architecture and Design, Arts and Sciences, Business and Information Technology, Engineering, and Health Sciences, as well as Specs@LTU, which offers communication training programs of the former Specs Howard School, and LTU’s growing Center for Professional Development. PayScale lists Lawrence Tech among the nation’s top 11 percent of universities for alumni salaries. Forbes and The Wall Street Journal rank LTU among the nation’s top 10 percent. U.S. News and World Report lists it in the top tier of best in the Midwest colleges. Students benefit from small class sizes and a real-world, hands-on, “theory and practice” education with an emphasis on leadership. Activities on Lawrence Tech’s 107-acre campus include more than 60 student organizations and NAIA varsity sports.