From the Nominator

"A priority for our team is to showcase the expertise of WSU faculty in a creative way. One way we accomplished this in 2022 was with a Pi Day video. 

With March 14 a few weeks away, we reached out to the math department to explore a collaboration with us on a social media video. We asked if they could provide a professor to explain the concept of Pi in a fun and educational way. If the math department accepted our pitch (which they did), we thought they would give us an adjunct. Instead, they gave us the chair—Dr. Charles Moore. 

We arranged for filming in an ultra-fancy lightboard studio managed by the WSU Academic Outreach and Innovation department. By using the state-of-the-art studio and equipment, combined with the talent of our video team, we knew the ending result would be stunningly appealing from a visual standpoint. 

But what about the content? Would the career academic we recruited resonate with our audience? YES! Dr. Moore came on set with his own script and we let him run with it. He was quirky and passionate, as well as completely genuine. Best of all, he provided an explanation of Pi that was easy to understand for those non-math viewers (he even included a pun). 

After filming, our video team masterfully edited the piece by darkening the background and applying necessary adjustments so Dr. Moore’s board writing would pop. Finding the perfect music made the video complete. What resulted was a social media smash hit."

From the Judges

"The Mystery of Pi" showcases a unique and interesting approach to celebrating a holiday in a creative way. The use of a faculty member adds credibility to the institution's brand, and the passionate writing shines through in the entry. It's evident that a lot of thought and effort was put into this project, and the end result is impressive.