Illinois State University Marketing and Communications (UMC) took home seven Best of District V Awards in CASE’s regional marketing competition for photography, stories, videos, and websites created for university clients and flagship communication channels.

Among Illinois State’s winning entries were two that were recognized earlier this year in the Council for Advancement and Support of Education’s (CASE’s) international Circle of Excellence competition. Below is the full list of UMC’s Best of District V Awards winners.

CASE is a global nonprofit organization dedicated to educational advancement and champions education to transform lives and society. The awards recognize exceptional achievement in advancement services, alumni relations, communications, fundraising, and marketing.

District Five, the Great Lakes District, is one of CASE’s eight geographic regions and encompasses Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio, and Wisconsin. The 400-plus member institutions include the likes of the University of Michigan, Ohio State University, and the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

Award-winning entries

• Communications, Storytelling: Slice of College: How pizza shaped the Redbird experience
• Writing, News/Feature (1,000+ Words): Slice of College: How pizza shaped the Redbird experience
  • A team led by UMC writer John Twork, M.S. ’12, and including graphic designer Mike Mahle and web designer Ella Jahraus ’20, M.S. ’22, won writing and storytelling awards for the online and print versions of a State magazine story about how pizza has shaped the experience of generations of Redbirds.

• Marketing, Micro-sites (Other): Campus construction projects
  • Kevin Bersett, MBA ’17, UMC’s associate director for strategic communications, collaborated with Kristie Toohill ’97, M.S. ’16, director of Facilities Management; Alexander Campbell ’19, MBA ’21, Facilities Services’ marketing and communications coordinator; the Office of Technology Solutions; and the relevant campus units to create webpages showcasing Illinois State’s latest construction projects.
• Photography, Individual Photographs: Leah Marlene at the Braden Auditorium
  • UMC university photographer Shea Grehan ’20 took this award-winning photograph of Leah Marlene singing at the Braden Auditorium during the University’s 2024 Homecoming.
• Videos, Student Audience (Short): May the 4th Be With You
  • UMC multimedia director Hugh Sullivan, multimedia specialist Brie Byers, and video intern Nate Richards created this Star Wars-inspired video to celebrate spring 2024 commencement.
• Video, Fundraising (Flash Campaign/Giving Day): Let’s Build
  • Sullivan, Richards, and video intern Mollie Pollock led a team that made this Lego-inspired stop-motion video promoting Birds Give Back, Illinois State’s designated giving day, organized by University Advancement
• Writing; Research, Medicine, and Science News: Deeper meaning: Ciphers reveal more than hidden messages
  • This story about Professor Katherine Ellison’s cryptography research was published in the spring 2024 issue of Redbird Scholar magazine. Then-UMC editor and writer Matt Wing wrote the article, which was laid out by UMC graphic designer Sean Thornton ’00, M.S. ’17 ’22.