'Communicator Awards' Honor Penn College for Marketing CD

Published 01.08.2003

News
Faculty & Staff

A CD-ROM used in student-recruitment efforts has earned Pennsylvania College of Technology a prestigious Award of Distinction in The Communicator Awards, an international competition honoring excellence in visual communications.

The College won the award in the "Multi-Media/Interactive CD-ROM" category for its "degrees that work" marketing tool for prospective students. The Award of Distinction is presented to entries that exceed industry standards in quality and excellence. About 18 percent of the entries won the award.

The Communicator Awards program was founded by industry professionals to recognize excellence in the communications field. Work is judged solely on its quality, creativity and resourcefulness. Entries are judged against a high standard of excellence, rather than against one another.

There were 3,242 entries from 48 states, the District of Columbia and nine other countries in The Communicator Awards 2002 Video/Film/Multi-Media Competition. Separate competitions are held for print and audio entries.

Penn College's winning "degrees that work" CD-ROM features an overview of academics, campus life and the admissions process, relying heavily upon videotaped student and alumni testimonials. The CD-ROM also features a "virtual tour" of the College campus and Williamsport area, course catalog and links to Web-based information. The CD-ROM also is designed to be accessible to hearing- and visually impaired persons.

Penn College designed and developed its award-winning marketing CD-ROM completely in-house. Staff contributors include Alex P. Bierly, multimedia development specialist: creative design and Flash content; Bruce E. Huffman, coordinator of digital media production: navigation and digital media engineering; Elaine J. Lambert, director of college information and community relations: interviews and text; and Christopher J. Leigh: media production specialist: videography, editing and compression.

The principal student contributors include Jason S. Morgan, Glenmoore: virtual reality panoramic scenes; Erin L. Savrock, Lock Haven: project assistant, transcription; and Joseph M. Tertel, Jr., Frackville: project assistant, online catalog; and current student Christopher J. Legarski, Montoursville: project assistant, graphics and digital media.

"This is a well-deserved honor for a project that demanded a broad range of talent and expertise, and it is a testament to the power of teamwork," said Jennifer McLean, director of instructional technology and distance learning at Penn College. "The time and talent each of these individuals put into this project is a credit to the College."

For more information about Penn College, call toll-free 1-800-367-9222, or visit on the Web.