Boston University won a record 16 of this year’s CASE Circle of Excellence Awards, an international competition that honors outstanding work in advancement services, alumni relations, communications, fundraising, and marketing. For the fifth year in a row, the University took more honors than any other college or university belonging to the international organization.

The 2018 awards were announced June 2018 by CASE (Council for Advancement and Support of Education), one of the world’s largest professional associations for educational institutions.

Stephen Burgay, BU senior vice president for external affairs, says the extraordinary number of awards reflects the professionalism of the University’s staff and is indicative of a vibrant campus, where “faculty, staff, and students have award-winning stories to tell.

“Bringing these stories to life in interesting and compelling ways helps to define our community,” says Burgay. “It puts a human face on it, and it demonstrates the impact BU has in the city and the world at large.”

CASE, based in Washington, D.C., has nearly 3,700 members in 82 countries. Its Circle of Excellence winners are chosen from more than 3,000 entries in many categories, and selected by a panel of industry peers and outside experts. BU brought home six gold, eight silver, and two bronze awards. The next-place finisher, Stanford University, won eight awards.

Among the BU gold winners is the digital edition of Bostonia, the University’s alumni magazine, described by the judges as “elegant, robust, energetic, and very easy to navigate.” The College of Arts & Sciences twice yearly arts&sciences also took gold for an issue that included a profile of former US poet laureate Robert Pinsky, a William Fairfield Warren Distinguished Professor, a report on a BU researcher’s journey to Antarctica, and a professor’s exploration of America’s fascination with pharmaceutical remedies.

Silver awards included a feature writing honor for Bostonia’s “Mitchell Garabedian vs. the Catholic Church,” a profile of the lawyer who crusaded for victims of abuse by Boston archdiocese clergy. A series of photographs with that story, taken by photographer Jackie Ricciardi, also took silver.

Another series of photos, by photographer Janice Checchio, of a student spring break program in Cuba, won a bronze award.

Development & Alumni Relations won three silver medals, including one for the general information video The Seal, which explains the legend about the University seal on Marsh Plaza, among other things.

“These awards are not only wonderful recognition of great work done by our team, but hopefully an indication that we’re effectively engaging with our alumni and friends,” says Steve Hall, vice president for alumni relations. “Acknowledgment that the teams at BU are doing industry-leading work is a great recruiting tool.”

Judges also lauded the School of Public Health publication This Year 2017. The glossy annual report and its digital edition each won gold awards.

Sandro Galea, dean of SPH and Robert A. Knox Professor, says he is honored that the school has been recognized by CASE.

“We see communicating our work as a core part of our mission,” Galea says. “To have excellence in communication recognized by our peers is gratifying, but most importantly, it helps redouble our commitment to always communicating as clearly and effectively as possible.”