Barbara Graustark

Experience

1. News Editor

   The New York Times

   Apr 1993 — Present · 620 Eighth Avenue, NY, US

   Art Editor, Culture Department, The New York Times, August 2013News and Enterprise editor, National Department, 20••••13 Prizes: Editor, 2009 Pulitzer Prize-winning series \"The DNA Age\" written by National reporter Amy Harmon.2012, Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism, editor of a memorable narrative about an autistic young adult achieving independence by Amy Harmon.Single Article: Over circulation(all honorees)Winner:\"Autistic and Seeking a Place in the Adult World,\" The New York TimesBy Amy Harmon and Barbara Graustark (ed.)How will we as neighbors, employers, co-workers and citizens cope with an entire generation of young people whose brains are wired differently? Through the eyes of Justin Canha, an autistic 20-year-old looking for independence, we see a universe-the challenges autistic young adults face as they come of age, as well as the ways society must evolve to accommodate and integrate differently abled adults. Amy Harmon followed Justin during his last year of public high school in Montclair, N.J, where a community-based program under the Individuals with Disabilities in Education Act effectively helps him transition to adulthood. Harmon documented Justin’s monumental achievements: learning how to use public transportation, finding a job, and making his first real friend. The judges called this piece “excruciatingly well-written,” and said, “this story is moving and funny and unforgettable and important, and full of the kind of detailed character reporting and grace notes to which more explanatory narratives should aspire.” High school educators told the New York Times they were using the stories to strengthen their supportive transition programs for autistic teens.