The communications program at the Purdue University College of Veterinary Medicine has been recognized with the Association of American Veterinary Medical Colleges’ (AAVMC) 2020 Communications Excellence Award. Judges praised Purdue’s program for overall excellence that advanced the college’s strategic outreach.
The award is for work completed during the 2019 calendar year. The communications team consists of Kevin Doerr, director of public affairs and communications; Allison Carey, assistant director of communications; Wright Frazier, director of web communications; and Osmar Lopez, senior web developer. Susan Xioufaridou, director of alumni relations and special events, also contributed work recognized with the award, as did Lauren Bruce, then marketing and communications manager for the Veterinary Hospital and ADDL.
“This award recognizes the creativity, skill, and commitment to excellence of our communications team,” said Dean Willie Reed. “I am very proud to have such a talented group of communication professionals in our college.”
In announcing the award, the AAVMC noted that Purdue University carried out a major themed celebration of its sesquicentennial in 2019, as the College of Veterinary Medicine simultaneously marked its 60th anniversary with messaging and graphics centered on a theme of progress and innovation. The college used multiple platforms to increase its stature among internal constituents, campus community stakeholders, alumni, clients and the public.
The communications team significantly increased the college’s online and social media presence and, in collaboration with the Purdue News Service, distributed 45 news releases that garnered more than 2,300 media mentions and reached an estimated audience of 850 million.
“Communications excellence is at the core of any successful university advancement program,” said AAVMC Chief Executive Officer Dr. Andrew T. Maccabe. “We congratulate our colleagues at Purdue University for earning this distinction and we are proud to acknowledge their exemplary scope of achievements and success.”
The judging team consisted of communication professionals representing member organizations of the Federation of Associations of Schools of the Health Professions (FASHP) in Washington, D.C. Judges scored nominations from five competing schools using an empirical process that assessed criteria such as quality and scope of the program, leadership and innovation in program development, strategic orientation and other factors.
The AAVMC Board of Directors established the Communications Excellence Award in 2013 to recognize the important role of communications in advancing academic veterinary medicine and the profession, inspire higher levels of performance and foster collaboration among member institutions.
Click here to view the AAVMC news release about the award.