Published August 3, 2026
BUFFALO, N.Y. — The University at Buffalo Graduate School of Education’s marketing and communications team has received six honors across four award programs, recognizing its website redesign, teacher recruitment marketing and a social media campaign documenting the school’s return to Foster Hall.
Three of the honors recognized GSE’s redesigned website.
The site received a Gold Award in the Education Digital Marketing Awards, an Excellence Award in the Education category of the Web Excellence Awards (WE-Awards), and a Judges’ Citation in the Institutional Websites category of the 2026 State University of New York Council for University Advancement Awards for Excellence (SUNYCUAD).
Developed in partnership with strategic digital agency SimpsonScarborough, the website launched in January 2025 following an extensive review of more than 2,500 pages. The redesign simplified the site’s structure and placed greater emphasis on intuitive navigation, clear pathways to academic programs and storytelling that reflects GSE’s mission.
The new site delivered measurable results within its first 90 days. Its engagement rate increased from 43% to 59%, while average engagement time per session rose by six seconds.
Members of GSE’s marketing and communications team who worked on the redesign were Nicole Mehlman-Davidow, assistant director of communications and web; Amber Winters, assistant dean for marketing and director of communications and events; William J. Belz III, assistant director of web and accessibility; and Danielle M. LeGare, director of content.
“Design was only one part of the transformation—this project was about people,” Winters explained. “The new site gave us a way to tell our story with heart and purpose. Prospective students can immediately see themselves in the narrative, navigate with ease and connect with the information that matters most.”
GSE’s “Move to Foster: A Phased Social Media Campaign” received two honors.
It was named Best in Category for Social Media at the 2026 UB Communicators Conference and received a Judges’ Citation in the Social Media category of the SUNYCUAD Awards for Excellence.
Created by LeGare, Mehlman-Davidow and Winters, the five-month campaign followed GSE’s move from Baldy Hall on North Campus and its return to its original home in the newly renovated Foster Hall on South Campus. Rather than treating the relocation as a single announcement, the team told the story in five phases. Content progressed from renovation updates, historical details and countdown posts to moving-day Reels, student wayfinding information and coverage of Foster Hall’s grand reopening.
The campaign helped students, faculty, staff, alumni and community partners prepare for the transition while building familiarity with GSE’s new home.
GSE’s sixth honor recognized “From Awareness to Application: Strengthening the Teacher Pipeline,” developed by Winters. The project received a Judges’ Citation in the Marketing category of the SUNYCUAD Awards for Excellence.
GSE’s three SUNYCUAD honors were among 17 received by seven UB marketing and communications teams.
The annual program recognizes projects that demonstrate strong planning, well-defined goals, creative execution and measurable results. “These awards reflect the creativity, strategic thinking and dedication of communications, marketing and advancement professionals across the university,” said John Della Contrada, UB vice president for communications. “Their work helps advance UB's mission, strengthens our reputation and demonstrates the impact that effective communications, marketing and engagement can have in supporting institutional priorities.”