From the Nominator

Author Chris Carroll tells the story for the cover of Terp magazine of how a woman's lifesaving new kidney arrived by drone—part of a revolutionary research project overseen by University of Maryland aerospace engineers and pilots. The nation's organ transplant system may never been the same.

From the Judges

We loved this gripping story of developing safe drone technology to deliver transplant organs. Writer Chris Carroll provides an intimate perspective on the evolving technology behind organ donation delivery. The reporting resulted in a story that takes the reader directly into each moment, allowing us to feel the excitement, trepidation, nervousness, and elation right alongside the patient and each member of the organ transplant team. The story flows easily, and both the pace and the organization of the narrative keep the reader captivated until the very end. Carroll’s clear language makes the science and technology in the story understandable to a wide audience, and leaves the reader not only more educated, but cheering for the successful flight. Carroll’s reporting and deft writing skills resulted in a masterful, memorable narrative and first-rate science story. Ultimately it reminds us why we care: Behind each piece of research, each technological development, there are people for whom discovery changes lives.