David W. Plath, Professor Emeritus of Anthropology and Asian Studies, received the 2013 Association for Asian Studies (AAS) Award for Distinguished Contributions to Asian Studies. Plath was the leader of the Media Production Group, for which he has designed, scripted, hosted, narrated, edited, directed, and often filmed productions. In 2000, the Society for East Asian Anthropology established the David Plath Media Award, given biennially for the best new educational media project on Asian societies and cultures. Professor Plath taught at the U. of I. for 35 years, is perhaps best known for Long Engagements: Maturity in Modern Japan(Stanford UP, 1980). The 2013 Distinguished Contributions to Asian Studies award celebrates his long engagement and many contributions to teaching about Japan at all levels and through many media.
