From the Nominator

The Oregon Stater brings together the 200,000-plus members of the Oregon State University community three times a year. Through storytelling, photography, illustration, and distinctive visual design, the magazine celebrates the accomplishments of its people and brings to life the university's research and history. Our goal is to deepen alumni's and supporters’ connection to Oregon’s largest and oldest university by creating a magazine that earns its place on the coffee table. This year was a rollercoaster of emotion for our alumni, as they faced the first year of sports without traditional Pac-12 rivals and saw federal research funding slashed. Athletics and science consistently top the charts for reader interest in our surveys, so these changes hit home. We faced those feelings head-on. With two feature stories in the Fall issue, we confronted the heartbreak Beaver fans felt entering their first football season in the new world of college sports. At the same time, a candid conversation with the university’s president gave readers her take on what disruptions to federal research funding mean to OSU’s mission and the country. The Winter issue focused on food—a natural theme for a land-grant university. When readers were invited to share their OSU food memories, the response was so large that we turned their letters into a chronological portrait of the university’s history. Together, these issues show how the Oregon Stater uses storytelling to help alumni process change, celebrate their community, and reconnect with their university’s mission.

From the Judges

Oregon Stater has a clear brand and makes good use of storytelling, photography, and illustration to engage readers. Judges particularly liked their whimsical and eye-catching covers. It also balanced lighthearted content, such as stories about superfans and food, with more serious subjects like the impact of cuts in federal funding.