Awards and Recognition
2025 Awards and Recognition
2025 CASE Circle of Excellence Awards
Oregon State University Foundation and the OSU Alumni Association received a Bronze Award in the 2025 CASE Circle of Excellence Awards in the Single Topic/Special Editions category, recognizing the Oregon Stater magazine’s Optimism Issue. This honor highlights the publication’s exceptional storytelling, professional excellence and meaningful impact within the field of educational advancement.
2025 National Association of Science Writers — Excellence in Institutional Writing Award
The Oregon Stater’s Winter 2025 cover story, “Rewilding the Klamath,” written by Sean Nealon and photographed by David Baker, earned the National Association of Science Writers Excellence in Institutional Writing Award for long-form writing. The recognition highlights the story’s exceptional reporting, narrative strength and impact in communicating science to broad audiences.
2024 CASE Circle of Excellence Awards (National)
Gold — Best Alumni Magazine Redesign (2024)
The Oregon Stater received the 2024 CASE Gold Award for Best Alumni Magazine Redesign, honoring the publication’s modernized visual identity, improved readability, and strengthened alignment with OSU’s brand and storytelling strategy.
Gold — Feature Writing for “Fear in the Water” (2024)
Writer Cathleen Hockman-Wert earned the CASE 2024 Gold Award for Feature Writing for her story “Fear in the Water,” recognized for its compelling narrative, depth of reporting, and strong emotional resonance with readers.
Silver — Best Opinion Piece for “The Jaws Effect” (2024)
Scholle McFarland earned the CASE 2024 Silver Award for Best Opinion Piece for “The Jaws Effect,” a sharply crafted and insightful commentary piece exploring how pop-culture storytelling shapes public perception.
Bronze — Best Opinion Piece for “When Beavers Unite” (2024)
John Valva earned the CASE 2024 Bronze Award for Best Opinion Piece for “When Beavers Unite,” celebrating its thoughtful perspective and ability to highlight the spirit and values of the OSU community.
2024 Best of CASE District VII Awards (Regional)
Best Alumni Magazine (2024)
The Oregon Stater earned recognition as Best Alumni Magazine in CASE District VII, reflecting its excellence in editorial planning, storytelling, visual presentation and reader engagement.
Best Alumni Magazine Redesign (2024)
The Stater’s redesign also won at the regional level, receiving the District VII Award for Best Alumni Magazine Redesign for its elevated design system and refreshed user experience.
Feature Writing — “Fear in the Water” (2024)
Cathleen Hockman-Wert received a District VII award for Feature Writing for “Fear in the Water,” recognizing the same nationally acclaimed piece honored by CASE.
Feature Writing — “Becoming Beavers” (Multiple Authors) (2024)
The story “Becoming Beavers,” written by multiple contributors, received a District VII Award for Feature Writing for its engaging storytelling and its exploration of identity and belonging within Beaver Nation.
Opinion Writing — “The Jaws Effect” (2024)
Scholle McFarland’s opinion piece “The Jaws Effect” earned additional recognition with a District VII Award for Opinion Writing, underscoring its strong voice and cultural insight.
Opinion Writing — “When Beavers Unite” (2024)
John Valva’s essay “When Beavers Unite” also received a regional District VII Award for Opinion Writing, celebrating its message of unity, collaboration and community pride.
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