UTSA earns five international awards for excellence in philanthropy, communications and marketing

AUGUST 5, 2024 — The UTSA Division of University Relations and the Division of Advancement and Alumni Engagement have received five 2024 Circle of Excellence Awards from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) for their impact in philanthropy, communications and marketing.

The Circle of Excellence awards recognize exemplary work among CASE member colleges and universities around the world.

This year, teams from 600 institutions in 28 countries submitted 4,223 entries. Judges selected 486 exemplary entries for bronze, silver, gold and grand gold awards.

“To be among the esteemed institutions recognized in the 2024 CASE Circle of Excellence Awards is a powerful testament to the professionalism and dedication of our UTSA colleagues,” said Karl Miller Lugo, UTSA vice president for advancement and alumni engagement.

The UTSA Alumni Association took home Grand Gold award in the Marketing: Branding category for its rebranding campaign.

The UTSA Alumni Association took home the Grand Gold Circle of Excellence Award in the Marketing: Branding category for its rebranding campaign celebrating the connections UTSA builds “For the Long Run.” The campaign is a take on the alumni motto, “Now and Forever, I am a Roadrunner,” and a play on the university mascot, Rowdy the Roadrunner. Featuring UTSA’s “Birds Up” mark and a bright orange color theme, the logo is a fixture on tailgate tents, tablecloths and campus windows.

UTSA Advancement and Alumni Engagement also received the bronze award in the Video Fundraising: Flash Campaign/Giving Day category for its UTSA Giving Day video. The “GIVINSUMBUX” campaign took a page out of familiar pharmaceutical ads. After going through various symptoms with Rowdy, the ad states that relief can be found by giving to UTSA’s various programs that benefit from donor support. The campaign was key to the university surpassing its goals for the annual fundraising event — to net 3,000 donors and $500,000. Over 1,969 minutes — or 32 hours, 49 minutes — Giving Day brought in 3,683 donors and more than $807,000. The video alone has had more than 78,000 impressions.

“These awards reflect the collaborative spirit and excellence that drive our mission to cultivate meaningful relationships with alumni and donors, resulting in phenomenal support of UTSA as seen in the incredible progress of our Be Bold campaign,” Miller Lugo said.

The UTSA Division of University Relations’ Office of Marketing and Special Projects and Office of University Strategic Communications earned three Circle of Excellence Awards.

University Marketing and Special Projects won silver in the Marketing: Advertising/Broadcast category for its TV spots for football broadcasts.

University Marketing and Special Projects brought home silver in the Marketing: Advertising/Broadcast category for its television spots for football broadcasts. Showcasing UTSA recent alumni and their success in high-demand fields, the ads were broadcast nationally during football games — including in the media markets of Roadrunners Football’s opposing teams — elevating UTSA’s brand among large audiences across the nation.

University Strategic Communications won bronze in the Magazines: Online category for its new digital version of Sombrilla Magazine.

University Strategic Communications netted a bronze Circle of Excellence Award in the Magazines: Online category for its new digital version of the magazine. Sombrilla Magazine Online was crafted to provide an immersive and interactive experience for UTSA students, alumni, faculty and staff, and the UTSA community by including multimedia elements such as videos, podcasts and photo galleries, complementing the magazine’s print edition.

Sombrilla Magazine’s 2023 cover story, “The Roadrunner’s Guide to the Galaxy,” also earned a bronze Circle of Excellence Award in the Writing: Research, Medicine & Science category. From astronomy to geological sciences to engineering, the feature takes a deep dive into groundbreaking scientific discoveries occurring at UTSA, their contributions to space habitation research and how the university is developing the space workforce of the future. The story has garnered significant visibility and credibility for the university’s burgeoning space-related expertise, research programs and community engagement. Since its publication, in fact, UTSA has been invited to join the prestigious Universities Space Research Association (USRA).

“University Relations advances awareness of and builds recognition for UTSA’s innovative and impactful approach to education, research and community engagement,” said Teresa Niño, vice president of university relations. “These national awards reflect the exceptional creativity of our team and their ability to engage audiences in a way that is meaningful and reflective of UTSA’s exciting vision.”

The CASE awards mark the latest accolades for UTSA. Earlier this year, Sombrilla Magazine Online won the silver American Advertising Award in the Online Interactive: Consumer Website category from the local chapter of the American Advertising Federation.

The San Antonio chapter of the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA) also recognized the University Marketing and Special Projects with two La Plata Excellence Awards in the Events and Observations category.

One award was for UTSA’s grand-opening celebration of San Pedro I, a $91.8 million, 167,000-square-foot building in the local Tech Corridor that helped cement the university’s position as a national leader in information security and as a major driver of economic development in San Antonio.

The second award was for a collaborative Hispanic Heritage Month event with the U.S. Mint and National Women’s History Museum marking the release of the ninth coin in the American Women Quarters Program — honoring journalist, activist, teacher and suffragist Jovita Idar.