Rutgers–Camden Wins First CASE Circle of Excellence Award

Rutgers University in Camden is pleased to announce that the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE) has honored the Office of Marketing and Communications with a 2023 Circle of Excellence Award. The competition was fierce, with over 4,000 global entries from 22 countries. CASE announced the story “Children Left Behind: Rutgers–Camden Researcher Explains How Pandemic Worsened Racial Achievement Gap,” won a Silver Prize in a special award category dedicated to COVID-related writing. The story features the expertise of Assistant Professor of Childhood Studies Valerie Adams-Bass.

CASE awards recognize exceptional achievement in advancement services, alumni relations, communications, fundraising, and marketing.

“The innovation and hard work of the Office of Marketing and Communications has earned Rutgers–Camden this well-deserved recognition,” said Chancellor Antonio D. Tillis. “The story provides an informative, data-driven, and compelling account of a nationwide racial inequity while elevating the exceptional research of our faculty.”

The pandemic’s effect on student achievement was brought into acute focus as students of color struggled to overcome obstacles during the transition to remote learning. In the story, Adams-Bass, who researches how race influences the academic outcomes of Black youth, recommends a path forward for leaders working in education. CASE judges praised the piece as “an engaging and well-researched article that highlights one of the many issues accelerated by COVID-19.” They expressed appreciation for recommendations made in the story regarding support of school infrastructure and academic performance.

“This CASE Circle of Excellence Award is a well-deserved peer recognition of the outstanding work being done by the Office of Marketing and Communications at Rutgers-Camden,” said Kim Manning, Rutgers University vice president of communications and marketing. “Congratulations to our partners in telling the Rutgers story.”

CASE Circle of Excellence Award winners are selected based on several criteria, including overall quality, innovation, use of resources, and impact on institutional stakeholders such as faculty, staff, students, and alumni. 

Design: Karaamat Abdullah