Four members of Lamar University's Office of Marketing Communications have been selected as winners of a 2018 Blackboard Catalyst Award in the “Optimizing the Student Experience” category, university officials announced today.

For over a decade, the Blackboard Catalyst Awards have annually recognized and honored innovation and excellence in the Blackboard global community of practice, where millions of teachers and learners work every day to redefine what is possible when leveraging technology.

“Lamar University is an exemplary marketing client that leverages data and an integrated technology stack to provide full insight into the funnel,” said Kylie Johnson, Blackboard account director. “They have delivered increases leads, apps and enrollments despite Hurricane Harvey.

“Through this holistic picture of the student experience from inquiry through to enrollment and managing a portfolio of programs responsive to student demand, Lamar is able to make ‘just in time’ adjustments to be student centered and responsive,” Johnson continued. “With the tracking system they have set up, they are able to control costs and maintain high levels of efficiency.”

“I’m proud to recognize this year’s Catalyst Award winners for their dedication to using technology to enhance the learning experience and sharing their best practices with the larger community,” said Bill Ballhaus, chairman, CEO and president of Blackboard. “We look forward to continuing to partner with the winners and their institutions to support learner success.”

Honored with the award are: Kate Downing, director of marketing and special assistant to the president; Daniel McLemore, associate director of marketing communications; Cynthia Hicks, creative director; and Bri Gore, social media manager.

All Blackboard Catalyst Award winners will be recognized during BbWorld 2018, Blackboard’s annual user conference to be held July 16-19 in Orlando.

Blackboard Inc. is focused on highlighting client successes and raising awareness throughout the educational industry by celebrating client achievements and milestones. The Blackboard Catalyst Awards are an opportunity to celebrate these accomplishments and help raise standard for the entire community.

The Blackboard Catalyst Award for Optimizing Student Experience, one of eight award categories, honors those institutions whose educational and administrative innovations have markedly improved the total learner experience. This includes addressing new and changing dynamics in fields such as student recruitment, financial aid, enrollment, retention and assessment, graduation and beyond.

Blackboard is the leading provider of learner success-focused technology solutions and services. Its product portfolio is unmatched in the marketplace, spanning teaching and learning, analytics, community engagement, campus transactions and security solutions as well as student services.

For more information on the Blackboard Catalyst Awards, please visit: https://community.blackboard.com/groups/catalystawards.