Harvey Mudd College Recognized for Innovative Communications at PRSA-IE Awards

At a November event celebrating outstanding communications programs, Harvey Mudd College received two awards from the Inland Empire Chapter of the Public Relations Society of America.

Celebrating professionalism and success, the PRSA-IE Polaris Awards represent the highest standards of performance in the public relations and communications professions within the Inland Empire. The College’s Office of Communications and Marketing team won a Capella Award in the Tactics/Audiovisual-Video category for Mudd Minute, a video series hosted by Harvey Mudd College President Harriet Nembhard. In the Innovative Communication category, the College received a Polaris Award for its Office of Annual Giving Pi Day campaign.

Mudd Minute, produced in-house by communications and marketing staff, provides an effective and engaging platform for Nembhard to connect with viewers, share important updates, and celebrate what makes the College special. Topics covered during 2022–2023 included strategic planning updates, pranking history, community building, alumni innovations, and research. Some of the most popular videos, which are shared via email and on YouTube, were “Living the Honor Code,” “Highlights from Family Weekend, “Finals Week,” “30 Years of Our Biology Major,” and “Our Remarkable Faculty.”

The 2024 Pi Day of Giving campaign raised more than $285,034 from 534 donors for the College’s annual fund, exceeding the previous year’s results (The College’s 2023 campaign also received PRSA-IE accolades.). Leveraging a mix of mail, email, video appeals and social media outreach, the diversified solicitation efforts reached various constituencies effectively. Tailored appeals and targeted messaging resonated with donors, driving increased giving. The annual fund supports the operating budget and enables the College to respond to unexpected challenges, seize new opportunities and pursue the mission of educating students to become leaders in their field with a clear understanding of the impact their work has on society.

Formed in 1965, the Inland Empire Chapter of Public Relations Society of America serves San Bernardino and Riverside counties and is one of 10 chapters in the PRSA’s Western District, comprised of the states of California, Nevada, Arizona, Colorado and Hawaii. The Public Relations Society of America, headquartered in New York City, is the world’s largest professional organization for public relations professionals.