WASHINGTON, D.C. (June 21, 2007) -- The American Society for Microbiology has received three honors, including the Platinum and Gold, for the 2007 Hermes Creative Awards, an international competition that honors the messengers and creators of traditional and emerging media.
ASM was honored for its MicrobeWorld Radio audio and video podcasts with a Platinum Award. Its blog, Small Things Considered, won a Gold Award and its MicrobeWorld website received an Honorable Mention. There were over 3,000 entries from the United States and several other countries. Submissions came from corporate marketing and communication departments, advertising agencies, PR firms, design shops, production companies and freelancers.
MicrobeWorld Radio is a public outreach initiative that revolves around a daily, 90-second audio podcast series and biweekly video series designed to increase understanding and appreciation of microbiology and the life sciences. MicrobeWorld.org serves as a gateway to this content and also offers the latest microbiology news and information. There is also a resources section for students and teachers. Everything is freely available to the public via the website or through iTunes.
Small Things Considered (schaechter.asmblog.org) is a blog written by Moselio Schaechter, an actively retired microbiologist and former president of ASM. Schaechter created the site to share his appreciation for the width and depth of the microbial activities on this planet, and emphasizes the unusual and the unexpected phenomena for which he has a special fascination.
“ASM’s outreach programs are a great way to make people aware of the role microbes play in everyday life,” said Chris Condayan, manager, public outreach for ASM. “It’s quite an honor to be recognized for all three programs by the Hermes Awards.”
Hermes Creative Awards is administered and judged by the Association of Marketing and Communication Professionals. The international organization consists of several thousand marketing, communication, advertising, public relations, media production, web and free-lance professionals. The Association oversees awards and recognition programs, provides judges and sets standards for excellence.
For more information about the American Society for Microbiology, please visit www.microbeworld.org or contact Garth Hogan at 202-942-9389.
The American Society for Microbiology is the largest single life science society, composed of over 43,000 scientists and health professionals. ASM’s mission is to advance the microbiological sciences as a vehicle for understanding life processes and to apply and communicate this knowledge for the improvement of health and environmental and economic well-being worldwide.