Pitt’s Office of Public Affairs and Pitt-Bradford Win CASE, PRSA Honors

Seven Awards from CASE District II

The University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Public Affairs won seven awards—including two Gold—from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) District II in the organization’s 2010 Accolades Awards Program competition. The honors were presented Feb. 8 during the CASE District II annual meeting in Philadelphia.

Public Affairs received a Gold award in the Individual Special Public Relations Projects category for its Free at Last? Slavery in Pittsburgh in the 18th and 19th Centuries exhibition, created by Pitt in partnership with the Senator John Heinz History Center. It was on display in the History Center from October 25, 2008, through April 5, 2009.

Pitt Magazine received a Gold award in the Staff Writing category.

A Silver Accolade award was won by Public Affairs in the Website: Fundraising Development category for its creation of the Pitt Giving Web site (www.giveto.Pitt.edu).

The world premiere of Blue Gold & Black: From Doorway to Distinction won one bronze award each in the Special Events: Individual and Online/CD/DVD Content categories. Blue Gold & Black: From Doorway to Distinction was a new documentary that told the story of the 180-year experience of Black men and women at Pitt. A reception and screening of the documentary served as the University’s 2009 K. Leroy Irvis Black History Month Program on Feb. 4.

Pitt Magazine won an Honorable Mention in the Magazines: 4-Year Colleges/Universities, 4-Color category. Similarly, the publication Blue Gold & Black 2008 won an Honorable Mention in the Annual or Institutional Reports category.

Finally, Pitt-Bradford received a Silver Award in the Individual Special Public Relations Projects category for the unveiling of its new Crime Scene Investigation (CSI) House. The CSI House enables students studying criminal justice to get hands-on experience working simulated crime scenes.

District II is CASE’s largest division, which includes 700 institutions and 3,000 individual members from Delaware, the District of Columbia, Maryland, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, West Virginia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, and the Canadian Province of Ontario.

13 Awards from Pittsburgh Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America

The University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Public Affairs received 13 awards—six Renaissance Awards and seven Awards of Merit—during the Pittsburgh Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America’s 2010 Pittsburgh Renaissance Awards event Jan. 21 at the University Club.

The entries earning Renaissance Awards were for:

Media relations, less than $20,000 budget—Pittsburgh G20 Summit;

Special events, less than $35,000 budget—Blue Gold & Black: From Doorway to Distinction, a reception and screening of the new documentary telling the story of the 180-year experience of Black men and women at Pitt. The Feb. 4, 2009, event was the University’s 2009 K. Leroy Irvis Black History Month Program;

External publication, three or more colors—Pitt Magazine;

Annual report, more than $20,000 budget—Blue Gold & Black 2008;

Creative tactic, direct mail—Blue Gold & Black: From Doorway to Distinction invitation; and

Creative tactic, other—Free at Last? Slavery in Pittsburgh in the 18th and 19th Centuries. The exhibition—about slavery in Western Pennsylvania before the Civil War—was created by Pitt in partnership with the Senator John Heinz History Center. It was on display in the History Center from October 25, 2008, through April 5, 2009.

The entries earning Awards of Merit were for:

Annual report, less than $20,000 budget—2009 Economic Impact Report;

Annual report, more than $20,000 budget—2009 Report of Chancellor Mark A. Nordenberg;

Executive communications, speech—Pitt Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs Robert Hill’s presentation during Presbytery Night at Heinz History Center;

Executive communications, other—Pitt Vice Chancellor for Public Affairs Robert Hill’s remarks for the 2008 annual meeting and luncheon of the African American Chamber of Commerce published in Blue Gold & Black 2008;

Creative tactic, other—Blue Gold & Black: From Doorway to Distinction event display;

Online/social media, educational presentation—Blue Gold & Black: From Doorway to Distinction; and

Online/social media, Web site—Pitt Giving.