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Left to right: Daniel Strain, science writer, media relations; Candace Smith, associate vice chancellor of strategic communications; Brian Bishop, event director, signature events; Ally Dever, media relations associate; Kelsea Peters, CU Anschutz; Acacia Freeman, social media coordinator; Yvaine Ye, science writer, media relations

The Colorado chapter of the (PRSA) honored CU Boulder’s Department of Strategic Relations and Communications (SRC) with two Gold Pick Awards and two Silver Pick Awards for exceptional work in the communications field. 

The department’s CUin60 social media campaign and an engaging science story exploring a new theory on animal patterns were among the gold-winning entries.

In the silver category, the department was honored for its efforts hosting the ScienceWriters 2023 conference and for its media relations strategies highlighting the new Triceratops skeletal reconstruction on campus. 

The PRSA Colorado awards recognize excellence in public relations among the state’s private firms, government and nonprofit organizations. They are among the state’s most prestigious awards for public relations practitioners. Read more about the winning entries below. 

Social media 

CUin60, a weekly 60-second series on the Instagram Story, has become a hit with CU Boulder’s student audience. Airing every Monday morning, the series is designed to showcase the university’s research stories in a quick, engaging format. Recognizing the visual nature of Instagram, the CU Boulder social media team crafted CUin60 to capture students’ attention with dynamic, eye-catching content, driving them to explore more detailed articles published in CU Boulder Today.

This innovative approach, led by Noelle Seybert and Acacia Freeman, earned CUin60 a Gold Pick award in the Social Media—Single Channel Use category, highlighting the team’s successful efforts in evolving and rebranding campaigns to better serve students, faculty and staff.

Feature story

Yvaine Ye, hired as part of CU Boulder’s Strategic Media Relations team one year ago, was recognized for her outstanding work in science writing with a Gold Pick Award in the Feature Story category.

Ye’s 2023 article, “How animals get their stripes and spots,” published on CU Boulder Today, explores the intricate processes behind how animals develop patterns on their bodies. The story details a groundbreaking theory from CU Boulder researchers suggesting that a combination of physical and chemical mechanisms explain this biological phenomenon.

Ye’s compelling storytelling captured significant attention, generating more than four times the average page views for the website in 2023. Her ability to translate complex scientific concepts into an engaging narrative earned her top honors in the category. 

Events and observances

In the fall of 2023, CU Boulder and CU Anschutz co-hosted —an annual convening of the National Association of Science Writers and the Council for the Advancement of Science Writing.  

The five-day conference, which earned a Silver Pick Award in the Events and Observances category, was part of CU’s ongoing efforts to enhance its research profile and reputation on both national and global stages. Following a two-year hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the event drew nearly 700 attendees and featured a range of programs. The success of the weekend was due in large part to the meticulous planning and coordination between the event teams from both campuses, which worked together to create a seamless and engaging experience for attendees.  

Media relations

Daniel Strain, a member of CU Boulder’s Strategic Media Relations team, was honored with a Silver Pick Award in the Media Relations category for his innovative approach to media relations and effective promotion of a campus event and research to a broad audience.

In 2023, CU Boulder received a full-sized skeletal reconstruction of a Triceratops from the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History. Recognizing the potential to captivate a wide range of Coloradans, including those not typically interested in science content, Strain leveraged the unique exhibit to highlight the university’s research efforts. 

His media outreach strategy—which included video content created by Multimedia News Specialist Nicholas Goda—successfully garnered significant coverage across all six major TV stations in the Denver, Boulder and Colorado Springs markets, showcasing CU Boulder’s commitment to engaging with residents statewide and raising awareness of its scientific initiatives.