Last modified: Tuesday, May 3, 2011
Informatics and Computing website among Internet's best, earning two Webby Awards for Indiana University
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
May 3, 2011
BLOOMINGTON, Ind. -- Indiana University Bloomington School of Informatics and Computing's new website will receive not one, but two Webby Awards from the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences in the academy's largest competition in history.
The academy announced today (May 3) that the School of Informatics and Computing would receive the Webby for excellence on the Internet in the School/University category in a judged competition between finalists from University of Colorado Boulder, the School of Visual Arts in New York, N.Y., the University of Victoria (British Columbia) and Massachusetts Institute of Technology. The website can be viewed here: https://www.soic.indiana.edu/.
Reflecting a strong "get out the vote" effort, the SOIC website also will be honored with a second Webby, the Webby People's Voice Award in the School/University category, during the 15th Annual Webby Awards ceremony, June 13, in New York City. The school's website received the most votes among the same five nominees in an open online competition that allowed anyone to view the sites and choose their favorite.
IU Bloomington's School of Informatics and Computing has been selected as having the best website among schools and universities by the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences.
"The School of Informatics and Computing is delighted that our innovative website design was viewed so favorably by this prestigious organization and process," said IU School of Informatics Dean Robert Schnabel. "Student interest and enrollments in our programs continues to grow rapidly, and our website is a key aspect of how prospective students see our school."
The academy received more than 10,000 submissions that led to 340 nominees in 68 categories for what is recognized as the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet in a variety of formats, including websites, online film and video, mobile, and interactive advertising. IU won its only other Webby in 2007 in the School/University category for its "10 Ways IU is Red Hot" website.
"This is an unparalleled honor," said David-Michel Davies, executive director of the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences, in informing SOIC administrators. "With nearly 10,000 entries from all 50 U.S. states and over 60 countries worldwide, the 15th Annual Webby Awards is the biggest in our history and continues to be the leading international award honoring excellence on the Internet. Your work truly represents the best of the Web."
Rebecca Salerno, director of the creative services team in the IU Office of Public Affairs and Government Relations (PAGR) responsible for developing the website with SOIC, recognized the collaborative effort that took place between the two IU units and the creativity and skill evidenced in the creative services team.
"The School of Informatics and Computing allowed us to create a new kind of website," she said. "We wanted to create something that would stand out, demonstrate an understanding of our key audience of prospective students, gain attention for the school and IU, and reflect IU's brand position as a technology innovator.
"Our creative services team is doing work on parallel with some of the leading digital agencies in the world, and I feel lucky to lead this team of talented people," Salerno added.
Salerno said the team created a website that was emotive and that invoked a story designed to intrigue current and future students about technology. The site includes three entry points for users, hierarchical navigation, an experience module with videos and photos, and a customized tag cloud for students to explore their interests.
Jim Shea, SOIC director of planning and communications and chair of the school's Web committee, recognized the teamwork between the school and PAGR, and thanked those who took time to vote in the People's Voice Awards.
"We are grateful for the support and many votes we got from our school and from the IU and Bloomington communities. That support was key in winning the People's Voice award," he said. "These awards affirm a lot of hard and innovative work by many folks in our school and our partners at creative services."
For more information or to speak with Schnabel, Salerno or Shea, please contact Steve Chaplin, University Communications, at 812-856-1896 or stjchap@indiana.edu.
