From the Nominator

This story is aimed at a general audience, from the Cornell University community to news media. The strategic goal was to leverage interest in the upcoming Paris Olympics and feature an educational angle unique to our campus. The story profiles a Cornell graduate student and invited participate in a world championship juggling competition at the Paris Olympic Committee’s invitation. While this achievement was unusual and interesting, we were intrigued by an academic angle: the mathematics behind juggling patterns and the language that describes them. Through this elite juggler—who is pursuing a doctoral degree in applied math—and other passionate jugglers on campus, we explained these math concepts for a general audience. The story provided a window into the world of sport juggling, which many readers likely didn’t know could be viewed on ESPN and aspired to become an Olympic sport, while emphasizing academics relevant to the graduate student’s career path and to our university. The story also provided a somewhat rare opportunity to feature math scholars who don’t receive much media attention, in an accessible way. We broadened the story to also interview peers and faculty, taking advantage of multimedia opportunities to show the jugglers at work. Ultimately, the story reflects a community of learners and explorers that is part of what makes our university special. The story was shared by the juggling competition and the graduate student’s alma mater; received 3,959 page views—considerably more than a typical research article; and generated positive feedback.

From the Judges

This interesting, well-researched story offers a unique look into the surprising academic connections of an obscure sport. It creatively highlights a less-publicized discipline of study and demonstrates Cornell's international leadership in a new way. The writer did an excellent job of simplifying the mathematical angle for a general audience without sacrificing the broader story of individual dedication and accomplishment and the “hidden” benefits higher education can bring. This proves great stories can be found everywhere, not just in obvious places or popular disciplines.