by Susan Ipaktchian on June 26, 2017 4:04 pm

The School of Medicines Office of Communication & Public Affairs has received national recognition for the quality of its news releases and magazine stories, including the top prize in the best articles of the year category.

Overall, the office received six awards one platinum award, two golds and three silvers in the 2016 Circle of Excellence Awards contest sponsored by the Council for the Advancement and Support of Education.

Writer Tracie White earned the sole platinum award in the best-articles category for The puzzle solver, which was published in the spring 2016 issue of Stanford Medicine magazine. The article described the efforts of genetics professor Ron Davis, PhD, to find a cure for chronic fatigue syndrome, the crippling illness afflicting his son. Contest judges said it was a powerful story, deeply compassionate and compelling in its expression. The reader feels this family tragedy while also appreciating the science being done at Stanford. This is the second time that White has won the platinum award in the category.

The magazine also won a gold award for periodical staff writing. Judges said the magazine stories met the difficult task of relaying complex medical and scientific ideas clearly and concisely, in a way that appeals to both lay readers and a professional audience, and did so while drawing readers in with compelling writing that emphasizes the human aspect behind the science. The articles demonstrated how Stanford is on the forefront of medical education, research, and development, yet each story was written with a focus on the human perspective, which demonstrates the why.

The five stories in the staff-writing entry included:

The news releases written by the offices staff earned a gold award in the Research, Medicine and Science News Writing category. The judges commended the entry for high-end writing that presents topics in ways in which the average reader can peruse them comfortably. Good use of quotes, which drive but do not overpower the writing. The news releases were edited byJohn Sanford.

The five news releases included in the entry were:

This illustration received a silver award in the annual Circle of Excellence Awards. (Image credit: Jason Holley)

Stanford Medicine magazine received a silver award in the special-constituency magazine category. Judges cited the magazine for deeply personal and affecting stories and for exploring pressing issues affecting health care, often detailing the human impact on physicians, patients and families. The magazine is edited by Rosanne Spector and Kathy Zonana.

An illustration by Jason Holley that accompanied the story Building a better drug, in the winter 2016 issue of the magazine, won a silver award in the design category. Judges said the drawing showed strength in the forced perspective, the asymmetry and the abstract narrative of the background.

CASE is a professional organization for those in the fields of communications, alumni relations and development at educational institutions. It includes more than 3,600 colleges, universities, and independent elementary and secondary schools in 82 countries. To recognize the best work in these fields, CASE sponsors its annual Circle of Excellence Awards.

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Stanford School of Medicine Communication office wins six national awards - Stanford University News