Pictured above – Staff in Tennessee Tech’s Office of Communications and Marketing celebrate their awards at the 2025 Tennessee College Public Relations Association (TCPRA) conference in Chattanooga. Top row from left: Rick Wells, Bailey Phonsnasinh, Carson Smith, Jonathan Frank and Irene Sullivan. Bottom row from left: Megan Trotter, Katie Blair, Denise Colwell, Jamie Fancher, Bobbie Maynard and Amy Davis (Dept. of Computer Science).
Tech’s awards included a gold award in the logo/graphic identity category
Tennessee Tech University’s Office of Communications and Marketing picked up a half-dozen awards, including a first-place finish in two categories, at the 2025 Tennessee College Public Relations Association (TCPRA) conference.
The event, which brought together both public and private universities and community colleges from across the state, was held last week in Chattanooga. The 2025 awards competition fielded a record-setting 421 entries across 38 awards categories, representing 22 institutions.
Tech’s awards included a gold award in the logo/graphic identity category for the university’s “100 Years of Golden Eagles” logo set.
The logos were created for various campus promotions highlighting the centennial anniversary of Tech’s identity as the Golden Eagles. Illustrated by Carson Smith, a graphic designer in Tech’s Office of Communications and Marketing, the logos depicted various iterations of Tech’s mascot over the decades.
Tech also received a gold award in the low-budget publication category for informational tri-fold brochures created in the fall of 2024 to highlight each of the university’s academic departments. The project was overseen by Tech’s Director of Brand Communications Bailey Phonsnasinh, with the help of Communications Coordinator Megan Trotter, Photographer Nick Fantasia and Smith as publication designer.
It was the Office of Communications and Marketing’s largest-scale academic department publication project in more than five years.
“I’m incredibly proud to see our Communications and Marketing team’s dedication and creativity recognized on such a competitive stage,” said Bobbie Maynard, Tech’s associate vice president for communications and marketing. “From celebrating a century of Golden Eagles to elevating our academic departments and storytelling through video and design, each award reflects the passion and collaboration that define our office. Their hard work, ingenuity and commitment to excellence not only showcase Tennessee Tech’s brand but also sets a high bar for marketing and communications professionals across the state.”
Tech’s Office of Communications and Marketing earned a silver award in the best media relations campaign category for interviews and earned media mentions the university secured related to the historic spaceflight of Tech alumnus and trustee Barry “Butch” Wilmore.
Another silver award was earned in the news/feature video category for a six-minute video highlighting a study abroad trip led by Tech’s College of Business. The video was produced by Noel Stojkov, video service specialist, and featured a student in Tech’s Master of Business Administration “Fast Track” program reflecting on a memorable study abroad trip to Ireland.
Rounding out the Office of Communications and Marketing’s awards were two bronze awards in the university-related webpage or site category and in the poster category.
Tech’s award in the university-related webpage category was earned for a 2024 overhaul of individual webpages for each of Tech’s academic majors, overseen by Cody Bryant, director of web and digital media.
The award in the best poster category was given for a Tennessee-themed poster mailed to high school juniors considering enrollment at Tech. The poster was designed by Graphic Designer Chaseton Earl. The poster featured an artistic rendering of Tennessee’s tri-star seal shaded in Tech’s signature gold and layered behind purple rolling hills.
Tech’s Department of Computer Science also picked up bronze and silver awards in the illustration category for their work on the department’s Eagle Drive magazine.
The three-day TCPRA conference included a presentation on emerging uses for A.I. from Jeremy Wendt, professor of educational technology and chair of the Department of Curriculum and Instruction in Tech’s College of Education & Human Sciences, and a presentation of campus safety and emergency preparedness from Brandon Smith, Putnam County’s director of Emergency Management.
A longtime leader within TCPRA, Tech is well represented among the association’s executive committee over the next year. Maynard is halfway through a two-year term as TCPRA president, while Denise Colwell, assistant to the vice president for enrollment and communication at Tech and Irene Sullivan, office manager for the Office of Communications and Marketing at Tech, continue to serve as sponsor relations lead and conference planning coordinator, respectively.
Learn more about TCPRA at www.tcpra.org.
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