The Peoria Journal Star writes that Renee C. Byer, BU a staff photographer with the Sacramento Bee since 2003 and an alum of the Bradley University class of 1980, won the award Monday for her series of black and white pictures, entitled "A Mother's Journey."

"I am totally honored to win this award," the 48-year-old California resident said by telephone Monday. "It's really important to me because it shows the power of what a story can do."

In addition, former Bradley University professor Howard Goldbaum said of her work, "This is wonderful news. Renee always had very wide horizons... I still share her work with some of my students."

Read the entire story in the Peoria Journal Star, and be sure to visit a slideshow of her Pulitzer-award-winning entry here.