UW–Madison’s Darcy Padilla, an associate professor within the School of Education’s Art Department, was awarded the inaugural Award for Documentary Photography from the Royal Photographic Society in November.

One of the world’s oldest photographic societies, the U.K.-based organization has been presenting awards since 1878. However, this is the first time it has presented an award specifically for documentary photography.

The award was added this year in recognition of sustained excellence or a notable achievement in editorial or documentary photography or moving image.

Known for her long-form narrative photography, Padilla focuses on projects that explore themes of struggle and the trans-generational effects of socio-economic issues. For more than 30 years she has been illuminating some of the most pressing social issues of our time through her powerful images — from the struggles of poverty, addiction, and homelessness, to the ravages of HIV/AIDS.

Padilla’s work has been exhibited internationally, and she has earned widespread recognition including a Guggenheim Fellowship (1995), an Open Society Institute Individual Fellowship (1998), an Alicia Patterson Foundation Fellowship (2015), three World Press Photo Awards (including the inaugural Long-Term Projects Award in 2015), and the 30th W. Eugene Smith Grant in Humanistic Photography.