The Division of University Communications recently won honors for 10 of its 13 entries in the Colorado Public Relations Society of America’s 2020 Gold Pick Awards.
The awards, announced Nov. 18 during a virtual banquet held on Zoom, were the latest round of accolades for a division that has now received more than 110 awards since 2014 from professional organizations at the state, regional and national levels.
“This high-level recognition of the excellent work being done by our extraordinary team of communicators is a testament to the compelling storytelling and dynamic creativity that defines this outstanding division,” Vice President for University Communications Yolanda Bevill said. “Congratulations to all of the awardees and everyone whose work was nominated.”
The honors included a Gold Pick for a May 2019 story by Science Writer and Senior PR Specialist Mary Guiden, “CSU teams up with UCHealth to perform first-in-world surgery on a dog,” in the category Media Relations/Consumer Services/Health Care Services.
Video by Jason Russell
CSU’s social media team ranked 21st nationally
The Division of University Communications Social and Digital Media team’s work was recognized this fall as being among the best in the nation.
Rival IQ’s 2020 Higher Education Social Media Engagement ranks Colorado State University 21st in the nation for fan engagement on flagship university social media accounts.
The report analyzed the institutional Facebook, Twitter and Instagram accounts of 353 Division I universities and colleges and their corresponding fan engagement.
In addition to being 21st overall, CSU was ranked sixth for engagement on a university Facebook page.
Colorado State University’s social media has been ranked in the top 30 universities nationwide for the past four consecutive years.
The other nine awards were all Silver Picks, for stories published in 2019:
- STATE Magazine, entered by Executive Editor Coleman Cornelius and Art Director Mary Sweitzer, in the category Magazines/External Audiences Primarily
- “CSU’s news blooms, thanks to visiting environmental journalists,” by Senior Media Relations Specialist Jennifer Dimas and Guiden, in the Media Relations/Government category
- “Delivering for Uganda: CSU group sees impact of grassroots fundraising, education,” story by Writer and Senior PR Specialist Jeff Dodge and video by Producer Brian Buss, in the Feature Stories category
- “Army Strong: CSU pioneering new Army Combat Fitness Training Plan for the scholar-athlete-leader,” by Editor and Content Manager Joe Giordano, in the Creative Tactics/Government category
- “A legacy of leadership: The campus community looks back at President Tony Frank’s impact on Colorado State University,” coordinated by Executive Editor and Content Manager Kate Jeracki, in the Creative Tactics/Government category
- “To monitor air quality, scientists chase methane plumes in dead of night,” by Science Writer and Senior PR Specialist Anne Manning, in the Media Relations/Government category
- “Exposure to air pollution increases violent crime rates, study finds,” by Manning, in the Media Relations/Government category
- “The next adventure: Joyce McConnell on becoming CSU’s 15th president,” story by Writer and Senior PR Specialist Tony Phifer and video by CSU System Associate Creative Director Jen Smith, in the Creative Tactics/Government category
- “Joy wins the day in annual CSU-CU Unified football game,” by Phifer, in the Feature Stories category
The latest honors for the division come on the heels of national awards announced last spring that included a Circle of Excellence Award for STATE Magazine from the Council for Advancement and Support for Education; a Shorty Award Audience Honor for the video “Women in Science;” and three Telly Awards for the CSU video team. And in August, Pam Jackson, associate vice president for University Communications, was named a 2020 Woman of Distinction by BizWest.
The Department of Public Relations is committed to informing the public and university community about the quality and diversity of the learning environment at CSU, the impact of CSU’s scholarship and research, and the University’s dedication to finding practical solutions to the great challenges the world faces today. The department connects reporters with leading experts in scientific research, social sciences, veterinary medicine and more, to share CSU news through local, state, national and international media outlets.
