Case Study
CENTENNIAL CELEBRATION
Celebrating a program that shaped a century.
LOGO + DESIGNÂ Â |Â Â ARTICLEÂ Â |Â Â DOCUMENTARYÂ Â |Â Â EARNED MEDIAÂ Â
Celebrating the centennial anniversary of an academic program is no small endeavor. When it’s a program that fundamentally changed the state and nation, it’s a once-in-a-career undertaking. As the director of communications at the Mewbourne School of Petroleum and Geological Engineering at the time, I had the privilege of making this celebration one to remember.
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Preparation took me into new territories—writing a script for a documentary, spending endless hours combing through historic collections, and putting every skill in my toolbelt to use. Also, do you know how many lawyers you have to go through to get 20 college students onto an active drilling site? (Answer: A lot. Like, several months' worth).
LOGO + DESIGN
Of all the logos I’ve ever designed, this is the only one that’s been cast in bronze and installed as part of a permanent memorial. Along with the six-foot version at the University of Oklahoma campus, this logo was featured on shirts, hats, websites, and printed materials.
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Multiple pieces of printed collateral were created, including a gatefold mailer sent to all alumni.
FEATURE ARTICLE
I wrote a feature story that appeared on the cover of Sooner Magazine, the alumni publication of the University of Oklahoma Foundation. The goal of the piece was to inform alumni about the anniversary and inspire graduates to give back to the program.
DOCUMENTARY
The board opted to fund a documentary instead of hiring an expensive keynote speaker. I was tasked with overseeing the project—ideation, hiring a production crew, managing the budget, setting the overall narrative, and researching the subject matter. The video needed to be compelling, emotionally nuanced, and honor a program that shaped the fabric of Oklahoma. I co-wrote and helped produce the documentary, and I couldn’t be prouder of it.
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I initially assumed the history of this program would be a series of wins, but that wasn’t the case. The theme that emerged from the documentary was one of risk-takers, trials, and the odds stacked against a program that ultimately changed the world. The board’s choice to fund a documentary over a keynote speaker became a gift to themselves and future generations—not because of me, but because, in the process of creating it, we captured history that was nearly lost to time.
Behind-the-scenes images from filming.
EARNED MEDIA
The Centennial was a year-long celebration that included a lab tour for reporters, a gala, and a statue unveiling. The media releases and events I planned garnered media attention. You can read a selection of them below.