Montana State magazine wins bronze award at national competition

BOZEMAN - Montana State University's flagship magazine was recognized earlier this month with a bronze award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education's 2026 national Circle of Excellence awards program.

Mountains and Minds won the award in the alumni/general interest category for magazines printed twice per year.

Judges in the competition praised Mountains and Minds' photography and layout elements and said the publication accomplished its mission - highlighting MSU's excellence in teaching, research and outreach - while making it interesting for a broader community.

The CASE Circle of Excellence competition honors outstanding work in educational advancement from institutions around the world. In 2026, teams from 628 institutions in 33 countries submitted 4,185 entries for consideration, according to a news release from the organization. CASE selected 493 winners and said winning entries were chosen for overall quality, innovation, effective use of resources, and measurable impact on their institutions and communities, including alumni, parents, students, faculty and staff.

"Mountains and Minds represents the best long-form storytelling, photography and graphic design that MSU has to offer, and that quality is all the more remarkable because it's produced by a team that, unlike at some universities, isn't solely dedicated to making a magazine," said Michael Becker, interim vice president of University Communications. "I'm proud to see the hard work of our team recognized at the national level and to see Montana State University shine."

Mountains and Minds is published in the fall and spring and is produced in-house by MSU University Communications staff members. For a free subscription, email [email protected].

To view the magazine online, visit https://www.montana.edu/mountainsandminds.