UCM Integrated Marketing & Communications Earns 11 Honors in Educational Advertising Awards

Student workers in UCM's Office of Integrated Marketing and Communications (IMC), Quinton Nofziger, left, and 
Mason Mitstifer, celebrate earning a Gold Award for Instagram Content and a Bronze Award for TikTok Content from 
the Educational Advertising Awards. The student workers collaborated with the IMC professional team.

 

The University of Central Missouri (UCM) Office of Integrated Marketing and Communications (IMC) earned 11 honors in the 41st annual Educational Advertising Awards, including recognition for student worker-supported social media projects and the university's official podcast.

 

The Educational Advertising Awards is the largest educational advertising awards competition in the country, recognizing excellence in higher education marketing, advertising and communications.

 

Among the university's top honors were two social media projects supported by student workers. Manifesting Fall earned a Gold Award in the Instagram Content category, while Minecraft UCM Edition received a Bronze Award in the TikTok Content category. The honors reflect the creativity and platform fluency that student employees bring to UCM's digital storytelling efforts.

 

"I am incredibly proud of the work IMC turns out day after day – with or without awards," said Susan Smedley, vice president for Integrated Marketing and Communications. "Of course, it's very gratifying to receive that acknowledgment and validation."

Smedley added that the award for the Minecraft UCM Edition TikTok, created by student worker Quinton Nofziger, represents something deeper. "One of our awards resulted from work done by one of our students under the direction of Brittan Williams, our assistant director of marketing and social media. This really is a special win for all of us," she said.

 

Nofziger, of Lee's Summit, Missouri, is studying Psychology with a minor in Marketing. 

 

Smedley elaborated on what the award means for student development: "The creation, production and performance measurement of social media content underscores the opportunities we provide at UCM for our students as student employees. At IMC, we provide mentoring, real-world experience and professional opportunities for the students who work for us. The professional finishing that students have access to helps them build a competitive advantage once they graduate and hit the job market."

 

The IMC social media team is rounded out by student worker Mason Mitstifer, of Kingsville, Missouri, who is majoring in Music Technology and Commercial Music.

 

"Social media is constant, and content changes daily," Williams said. "Our students, Quinton and Mason, bring a passion and creativity that, in my view, only students can bring to a university social media account. Representing the brand strategically while staying relatable and authentic is the balance these two strike well."

Additional UCM honors included a Gold Award for the KMUL radio logo in the Logo category and a Silver Award for the Spring 2025 UCM Magazine in the Publication/External category. The university also earned a Silver Award for Streaming AI Ad in the Radio Ad Series category and a Silver Award in the Podcasts category for Central Speaks, the university's official podcast. The honor marks the first national award for the podcast, which launched in September 2024.

 

Bronze Awards went to the Alumni Fall 2024 Annual Report in the Annual Report category and Break Out of Your Shell in the Digital Video Less Than Two Minutes category. Merit awards were given for Homecoming Content in Facebook Content, Faculty Focus Video in Special Video and Freshmen Viewbook in Student Viewbook.

 

IMC has previously been honored in this competition, earning numerous gold, silver, bronze and merit awards.

For more information, visit ucmo.edu/IMC.