Oregon State University took home 10 awards, including a best-in-class award for a marketing campaign, from the 2022 Critique & Awards program of the Association for Communication Excellence in Agriculture, Natural Resources, and Life and Human Sciences.

The national organization, known better by the acronym ACE, is primarily comprised of communications units in land-grant universities. The awards were presented June 13 at the ACE annual conference in Kansas City.

OSU finished third among land-grant universities in number of awards and fourth overall.

The OSU winners represented three central units in the Division of Extension and Engagement: Extension Communications (EC), Professional and Continuing Education (PACE) and Extension and Computing Technology (ECTU).

The winners also came from five OSU Extension programs: Master Gardeners (MG), Family and Community Health (FCH), Forestry and Natural Resources (FNR), Agricultural and Natural Resources (ANR) and Oregon Sea Grant (OSG).

Gold Awards:

Silver Awards:

  • Publications for Diverse Audiences: Ann Marie Murphy (EC), Nellie Oehler and Joyce Senior (FCH), “Bilingual Food Preservation and Safety Tips Booklets.”
  • Social Media Graphics Single or Series: Anna Bridges (EC), “National Eat a Cranberry Day.”
  • Newsletters: Janet Donnelly (EC), LeAnn Locher (MG), Ann Marie Murphy (EC), Kym Pokorny (EC), Rich Collins (PACE) and Michele Scheib (EC), “Oregon State University Gardening News.”
  • Popular Publications: Janet Donnelly (EC), Edward C. Jensen (FNR), Ariel Ginsburg (EC) and Alan Dennis (EC), “Trees to Know in Oregon and Washington.”
  • Social Media Campaign (Organic): LeAnn Locher (MG), Nicole Sanchez (ANR), Gail Langellotto (ANR and MG), Andony Melathopoulos (ANR) and Heather Stoven (ANR), “Supporting Gardeners Through an Extreme Heat Event.”

Bronze Award:

  • Social Media, Single Item: LeAnn Locher (MG), Gail Langellotto (ANR and MG) and Sam Chan (OSG), “Avoid Spreading Invasive Species (like jumping worm) in Plant Sales or Plant Swaps.”

In addition, Jennifer Alexander, director of communications for the Division of Extension and Engagement, was recognized as outgoing past-president of ACE, concluding a four-year term of service on the ACE board of directors.

Chris Branam, public issues education leader in Extension Communications, received the ACE Rising Star award, which honors members who demonstrate exceptional leadership and technical skills early in their career and/or ACE membership.