Western wins eight awards at latest CASE VIII competition

February 16, 2021

Western Washington University’s Division of University Relations and Marketing received top honors from the 2021 Best of CASE VIII Awards.

The division received a total of eight awards, including a Grand Gold Award for the Fall Anthem Video, and three Gold Awards recognizing Window magazine and the New Student Orientation website.

This is the highest number of Gold Awards Western has received in one year from the Best of CASE VIII competition and the second year in a row Western has won a Grand Gold Award. Last year, Window magazine received the Grand Gold for excellence in magazines of all sizes.

The annual awards from the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education recognize excellence in communications, marketing, advancement and alumni engagement at colleges, universities and independent schools. Region VIII includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho, Montana and western Canada.

Western’s award recipients this year are:

  • Grand Gold, Student Recruitment Videos: “Fall Anthem” by University Marketing. “Make Waves is a great campaign theme, and this video really supports that messaging,” the judges wrote. “The concept is great.” Team members included Donna Gibbs, Suzanne Blais, Faith Haney and Rhys Logan.
  • Gold, Communications Pivot: New Student Orientation, by New Student Services/Family Outreach, Web Communications Technologies, and University Relations. “Western Washington University raised the bar for virtual student orientations during COVID-19,” wrote the judges. “All of this in two weeks, with zero additional budget...wow!” Team members included Donna Gibbs, Shelli Soto, Ronna Biggs, Suzanne Blais, Faith Haney, Lisa Moeschler, Max Bronsema, Stephanie Paulantis, Leah Sharaby and Zoe Fraley.
  • Gold, Alumni/General Interest Magazines Published Twice a Year: Window magazine, edited by Mary Gallagher and designed by Chris Baker of the Office of University Communications.
  • Gold, Magazines on a Shoestring: Window magazine, edited by Mary Gallagher and designed by Chris Baker of the Office of University Communications.
  • Silver, Student Recruitment Videos: “Get Your Hands Wet,” by University Marketing. Team members included Donna Gibbs, Suzanne Blais and Faith Haney.
  • Silver, Digital Magazines: GAIA, The Online Journal of Research, Discovery, and Scholarship at Western Washington University, edited by John Thompson, Office of University Communications.
  • Silver, Feature Writing: “The Great Goatlift,” by John Thompson, Office of University Communications. “Very well documented and written story exploring a very cool topic, produced in such a way that was easy to understand,” wrote the judges. “The tie-in to the professor and students is the type of story that helps showcase an institution's impact on the communities it serves.”
  • Silver, Individual Photographs: Mongolian Eagle Hunter, by Rhys Logan, University Marketing.

View all the winning entries from throughout the region at Best of CASE VIII online awards gallery.