Student cashes in on disaster relief design


May 12, 2009

Tanner Woodford’s artistic take on calamity has resulted in cash prizes. The ASU http://design.asu.edu/" title="College of Design">College of Design undergraduate student recently took two top awards and $11,000 home for his graphic and broadcast design entries about disaster relief.

Woodford entered the Center for International Disaster Information’s (http://www.cidi.org/" title="CIDI">CIDI) 2009 http://www.psaid.org/" title="PSAid">PSAid: Public Service Announcements for International Disasters competition. Contestants were asked to provide public service announcements that demonstrated the importance of giving monetary donations – as opposed to in-kind donations – in response to international disasters. Woodford’s http://www.psaid.org/public/VideoDetail.aspx?videoId=325&public=1&am... title="graphic">graphic and http://www.psaid.org/public/VideoDetail.aspx?videoId=326&public=1&am... title="broadcast">broadcast designs entitled “Cans Can’t Cash Can” demonstrated the difference between the cost it takes to send one can of food to Zimbabwe, and how the same amount of money could benefit more than 800 community members there with healthcare for an entire year. Download Full Image

The winning entries were selected from a group of approximately 50 semifinalists from college and university students nationwide. The final winners were selected based on an online public vote and the scores by a panel of esteemed judges that included last year’s student winners in both the broadcast and print categories. The winners split $30,000 in cash, of which, Woodford received $5,000 for placing second in the broadcast division. His first-place print design netted him $6,000 and he may have his PSA distributed to national print media. Despite the monetary gains he received from the competition, Woodford feels that his graphic design work goes far beyond collecting cash.

“I believe graphic designers have the unique understanding and responsibility to motivate the public to participate in events that benefit local, domestic and international communities,” Woodford says. “I find the work at CIDI particularly interesting and found this contest to be a unique opportunity to use some of my newly realized design skills for a good cause.”

Scheduled to graduate with a Bachelor of Science in Visual Communication Design from Arizona State University in 2009, Woodford also lives in Tempe, Ariz. with his wife. For more information about Woodford, visit: http://www.tannerwoodford.com">http://www.tannerwoodford.com/">http://www.tannerwoodford.com.  

Wendy Craft

Marketing and communications manager, Business and Finance Communications Group

480-965-6695

ASU launches Facebook application for students


May 12, 2009

ASU is launching ASU on Facebook, powered by Inigral, Inc., a new Facebook application designed to promote student connections and success.

The application allows students to connect with peers by class subject, major and college, and students can talk with instructors, view class schedules and find other students from the same hometown. Download Full Image

ASU decided to tap into the existing social network site Facebook to provide students with an online tool that accomplishes university goals and reinforces academic and social connections.

“Research shows that when students are connected to their college community they are more likely to stay in school and graduate,” says Elizabeth D. Capaldi, Executive Vice President and Provost at ASU. “Through ASU on Facebook, students will be able to strengthen existing social connections and build new relationships to support them through graduation."

ASU on Facebook communication is publicly displayed; however Facebook account profiles remain private unless users add their ASU on Facebook connections as friends to their account. This allows students to communicate with professors and peers while keeping personal information private.

Future plans include adding clubs and organizations, study abroad and internship information as well as interactive games to the application.

By Fall 2009, prospective students and alumni will also be able to join. ASU plans to use ASU on Facebook to develop connections across these groups by encouraging prospective students to attend and current students to graduate and remain engaged after leaving the University, creating a large ASU network of prospective, current and alumni students.

To access ASU on Facebook, visit facebook.asu.edu.

For">http://facebook.asu.edu">facebook.asu.edu.

For more information about Inigral, Inc., visit www.inigral.com.">http://www.inigral.com">www.inigral.com.

Lisa Robbins

Assistant Director, Media Relations and Strategic Communications

480-965-9370