WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. — Pennsylvania College of Technology received accolades in the 19th annual CUPPIES Awards, sponsored by CUPRAP, an organization of communications professionals from colleges, universities and independent schools working in public relations, media relations, marketing, publications, sports information, web and graphic design and more.
The college received a Bronze CUPPIE Award in the environmental design category for environmental graphics displayed throughout the Williamsport LaunchBox supported by Ken and Kristie Healy.
The facility, housed in Penn College’s Carl Building Technologies Center, recently became the 24th innovation space in the Invent Penn State LaunchBox & Innovation Network. The Strategic Marketing & Communications team at Penn College collaborated with the Invent Penn State team to create graphics and a logo inspired by the LaunchBox vision. The college repurposed an underutilized hallway to create an aesthetically pleasing space — including graphics produced on multiple surfaces (wall, glass, etc.) — that now welcomes entrepreneurs, students and community members to receive support and bring their ideas to reality.
The work was designed and produced in-house with the help of the college’s General Services department.
Other winners in the category were Manor College, St. Joseph’s Prep and Wilkes University.
Penn College was awarded an Honorable Mention in the long-form video category for “Grace Under Pressure,” a piece about Penn College emergency management & homeland security student Ki Stake.
The 3-minute, 20-second video follows Stake’s journey to Penn College and provides insight into what fuels the overachiever as she balances a full college course load with overnight shifts as a live-in volunteer at a local fire department. The video was developed to support an academic program with growth capacity and to highlight a field with considerable industry demand.
The video was produced by Penn College Strategic Marketing & Communications employees Christopher J. Leigh, video producer, and Sumer A. Beatty, associate director of strategic marketing.
“It was a joy to work alongside such a talented team to bring Ki’s story to life,” Beatty said. “Thanks to the Montoursville Fire Department, we were able to gather some striking footage of Ki in action. She’s a remarkable example of grit and determination. I can’t wait to see how she’ll share her talent and compassion in the next chapter of her journey.”
Other winners in the category, which, along with short-form video, received the most entries, were Gettysburg College, Rowan University and St. Joseph’s Prep.
The 2026 CUPPIE Awards were presented at CUPRAP’s annual spring conference in Lancaster. Altogether, 405 entries were received from colleges, universities, agencies, and providers of private, specialized and secondary education.
Judges for the competition are experts in the communications field, including designers, writers, educators, corporate executives and media professionals.
“I’m incredibly proud of the Strategic Marketing & Communications team for their great work in telling Penn College’s story and supporting our brand every single day,” said Katie Bell, vice president for strategic marketing and communications. “These recognitions reflect the team’s thoughtful, creative approach and their ongoing commitment to collaborating with students, employees, alumni, industry partners and the community.”
For information about Penn College, a national leader in applied technology education, visit pct.edu, email admissions@pct.edu or call toll-free 800-367-9222.