UND recognized with nine international awards
The University and the UND Alumni Association & Foundation took home nine CASE Best of District VI awards this year
The University of North Dakota has come full circle — right back to the Circle of Excellence.
Four projects from 2024 were recognized by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) Circle of Excellence, Best of Region IV awards. This year, 640 institutions from 33 countries competed for recognition.
UND’s winning projects span environmental design, recruitment communications, feature writing and video storytelling, in each category reflecting the core values of the University and its UND LEADS Strategic Plan.
Mural blends Equity and aesthetics
First up, the Equity and Affinity mural just outside the Hilyard Center and Pride Center in the Memorial Union was recognized in the Design: Environmental Graphics category.
Marketing & Creative Services collaborated with Hilyard Center staff, facilities and sign vendors to create a colorful and abstract mural in the corridor connecting the Hilyard and Pride centers.
The floor-to-ceiling illustrations feature a unique, abstract style meant to be “bold, colorful and welcoming” while feeling timeless. The same design was used during the UND Multicultural Conference for Belonging and Inclusion in 2024.
Notably, the Hilyard Center was separately recognized in the Special Events: In-Person (Single-Day) category for its Empowered by Our Past: Linking Students of Color to Legacy, which UND’s Events and Marketing teams assisted with.
Building the flock through the mailbox
UND is nothing without its students, and UND Marketing is always looking for new ways to add to the Flighting Hawks flock. Last year, their efforts came with a sleek-looking mailer.
The “You Belong at UND” mailer earned recognition in the Publications: Student Recruitment (Individual Publications) category for helping convert admitted students into enrolled ones. Sent to high school seniors who hadn’t yet confirmed their enrollment, the piece gave students a look at a “day in the life” at UND presented with the characteristic Fighting Hawk flare.
Each mailer had a personalized touch with its “NAME, you belong here” cover complimented by photography and UND-branded graphic design elements. A QR code in the booklet directs students to a page where they can make their deposit and seal the deal.
Aside from its sleek look, the project was also a resounding success. It gets a fair share of the credit for a 12.7% increase in deposits and a nearly 25% increase in new freshman enrollment from 2023 to 2024.
Lights, camera, (leaders in) action
“What is Your UND Story: Becoming a Leader in Action” earned recognition in the Videos: Student Audience (Long) category by spotlighting nine students — including first-generation and nontraditional learners — sharing how UND helped them discover their strengths and step into leadership roles.
The video stitches together eight separate Leader in Action videos into one a single, cohesive narrative that highlights the ways in which UND gives students unique experiences and leadership opportunities.
An award-winning feature highlights local history project
UND Today was also recognized for a feature story written by Janelle Vonasek, “Student history project raises new voices,” which earned recognition in the Writing: News/Feature (1,000+ Words) category.
Vonasek’s story follows historians William Caraher and Nikki Berg Burin of UND’s Department of History & American Indian Studies as they worked with 14 undergraduates to commemorate Grand Forks’ first 150 years through the lens of everyday people. Together, they wrote 150 short essays — exactly 150 words each — that trace the community’s diverse and textured history.
The feature story covers the process of working on the ambitious project as well as highlights uncovered throughout the student’s research.
The essays were compiled in a book called “Grand Forks at 150: The First Fifty,” which is available through UND’s Digital Press.
But wait, there’s more!
The UND Alumni Association & Foundation also picked up four of its own CASE Circle of Excellence Best of District VI awards. From alumni profiles to University, click the links below to see their winning submissions.
Storytelling: Cami Bennett Stadium Designer
Writing: News/Feature (Less Than 1,000 Words): A Long Overdue Degree
Writing: Profile (Less Than 1,000 Words):A Cultural Connection
Videos: Fundraising and Stewardship (Long): Forever UND Impact – Student Experiences
