By Timothy R. Olsen ’09, ’18 M.B.A.

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This issue of Utah State Magazine has been a lot of fun to put together. Highlighting various collections and connections across the USU system has been a joy. However, I would be remiss if I didn’t highlight one more collection in this space.

That is the collection of awards our magazine team, specifically our photographer and designers, have recently garnered.

While we don’t do this work for recognition and accolades, we have put in a lot of work the past couple years to reinvent the magazine a bit and make sure we’re engaging our audience in multiple ways. We’ve received positive feedback from you, our readers, for those efforts and that truly is the best reward. But it’s a nice secondary pat-on-the-back to have our peers recognize that we’re doing some pretty great things here at Utah State.

One of the main groups we submit our work to for award consideration is the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). Their Circle of Excellence Awards are the pinnacle for awards in our line of work, and 2025 marked just the second time Utah State Magazine received multiple awards in a single awarding cycle.

All told, out of 4,460 total global entries submitted, there were 477 awards given. We received a silver medal in the “Publishing Improvement” category for magazines for overall recent improvement, as well as a silver medal in the “Photography Portraits” category for the cover image and accompanying interior photos for the Winter 2025 “Fishing for his Future” cover story.

Here’s what the judges had to say in regard to the “Publishing Improvement” silver medal:

“This redesign included an increase in publication from two to three issues a year while maintaining page count and budget to display good use of resources. The magazine’s visuals are fun, bright, and dynamic (compared to the previous serious tone) and the editorial content captures the essence of the university’s student body and alumni.”

The University and College Designers Association (UCDA) is the other main group we submit our work to. This year, we brought home five awards, including the Excellence: Judge’s Choice nomination in the “Digital Application” category for the use of augmented reality on the cover of our Spring 2025 issue created by Liz Stanger.

Other awards included a pair of illustrations by art director Elizabeth Lord and a pair of photo awards for photographer Levi Sim.

I’m incredibly proud of our magazine team and the efforts put in to deliver the best product possible to you, our Aggie Family.