Fox Cities News

A Wondrium video course on Tibet, written and narrated by Lawrence University professor Constance Kassor, has won a 2024 Telly Award. The 24-part lecture series, "Tibet: History, Culture, and Religion," received a Silver Award in the Education and Training – Non-Broadcast category. Released in May 2023, the series is based on Kassor's research and expertise as an associate professor of religious studies and special assistant to the president at Lawrence.

The Telly Awards recognize excellence in video and television across all screens. More than 13,000 entries were submitted this year. According to the organizers, “Telly Award winners represent work from some of the most respected advertising agencies, television stations, production companies, and publishers from around the world.”

The development team for Kassor's Tibet series included producer Tom Kryzwicki and content developer Elliot Blair Smith. The project spanned two years to complete. The initial 18 months—spring of 2021 to late 2022—were dedicated to researching, writing, and collaborating with the content developer to produce all 12 hours of material. In December 2022, Kassor spent a week recording the series at Wondrium’s offices in Chantilly, Virginia. Over the next six months, she worked with the production team on final edits before its release in May 2023.

“This project was a massive undertaking that took a lot of time and involved a huge team,” Kassor said. “I'm genuinely surprised to get the news about this award, and I'm delighted that this is something that others have found beneficial and engaging.”

"Tibet: History, Culture, and Religion" covers various aspects of Tibetan life including history, culture, religion, and political issues on what is often called “the roof of the world.” The lectures range from 18 to 30 minutes each and span topics such as Buddhism, Tibetan cuisine, and the Dalai Lamas.

“If Tibet is in people’s consciousness at all,” Kassor noted,“it’s this image of some faraway place... What I wanted to show is that it’s a real complex place and not some idyllic untouched place.”

Kassor has been part of Lawrence University's religious studies faculty since 2016. She primarily teaches courses on Buddhist thought and Asian religious traditions with her research focusing on Tibetan Buddhist philosophy.