Five marketing, communication and development projects from UC Davis have earned international honors from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education, or CASE.
The five Circle of Excellence awards — the most earned by any University of California institution — follow 38 awards UC Davis earned in regional CASE competition earlier this year.
The projects awarded Circle of Excellence awards were produced by staff from the offices of Strategic Communications, Graduate Studies, and Development and Alumni Relations.
Speaking on behalf of the Strategic Communications projects, Dana Topousis, chief marketing and communications officer, said: “The recognition from CASE continues to validate the high quality of our work and the talent of our department. It also confirms our commitment to sharing the impact our students, faculty, staff and alumni have on the region, state, country and world.”
UC Davis’ highest award came at the platinum level, where fewer than 10 awards were presented. More than 3,000 entries were submitted and institutions from 11 countries received Circle of Excellence awards.
"Our members once again have demonstrated their commitment to their organizations through their remarkable work,” Sue Cunningham, president and chief executive officer of CASE, said in a news release. “This year's award winners demonstrate creativity and strategy.”
The winning UC Davis projects:
PLATINUM
UC Davis Guardian Professions Program
- By the Office of Graduate Studies
- In the category Best Practices in Diversity Programs
This program offers assistance to former foster youth who want to pursue graduate degrees. It has helped more than 50 students earn admission to advanced degree programs, and the program has a high success rate: 85 percent of Guardian Professions Program scholars who apply to graduate schools are accepted.
GOLD
- By the Office of Strategic Communications
- In the category Internal Audience Publications, Digital
The Aggie Tip Sheet is a double-sided sheet with a quick look at recent news, distinctions, rankings and other information. It’s designed for campus leaders, communications professionals and others who want a quick look at recent news and points of pride.
The judges called it “truly a unique submission,” adding: “It showed creative problem solving that serves a very specific internal audience. This submission genuinely stood out from the rest.”
SILVER
- By the Office of Strategic Communications
- In the category Advertising: Individual Ads
This advertisement highlighted the California Lighting Technology Center and was part of a national awareness advertising campaign for the university as a whole. The ads have been featured in national publications, and at Sacramento International Airport and elsewhere.
“What Can I Do With My Major?” blog
- By the Office of Strategic Communications
- In the categories Collaborative Program (silver) and Individual Sub-Websites (bronze)
This blog spotlights some of the campus’s various majors and the career opportunities students can pursue. It’s UC Davis’ most successful blog, and has more than 100 posts written by faculty, students, staff and alumni. The Office of Strategic Communications collaborated with more than 90 collaborators on the blog.
The judges praised the blog’s focus on student outcomes.
“By connecting student and alumni success stories to a variety of majors, UC Davis transformed a simple blog into an inspiring carrier for advancement, student success, and admissions efforts,” they wrote.