Media Relations Team Honored for Writing

UToledo’s media relations team won two of the top three awards for “Best in Writing for the Media” in the 2019 Pride of CASE V Awards.

Christine Billau won gold for the media pitch “UToledo chemists discover how blue light speeds blindness” abouta faculty member who discovered how blue light from smartphones and other digital devices can lead to age-related macular degeneration, a leading cause of blindness in the U.S. The pitch resulted in 640 media mentions worldwide reaching more than 400 million people.

Tyrel Linkhorn was recognized with a bronze award for the promotion of “A no-pain gain to combat hypertension.” That pitch highlighted research at UToledo that, for the first time, identified how liver function could play a role in regulating blood pressure and the possibility of a medication that could address salt-sensitive hypertension without exercise. The story was covered by local media and a number of science and research outlets.

CASE V is the Council for Advancement and Support for Education District V that supports alumni relations, communications, development, marketing and advancement efforts of educational institutions in the Great Lakes region. District V encompasses Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin, and includes more than 400 member institutions and more than 2,500 representatives.