Mountains and Minds deserves recognition because it is an example of editorial excellence produced with limited resources. Montana State University is a public, land-grant institution located in a state that ranks at the bottom in money allotted to higher education. Therefore, MSU's magazine is produced entirely in-house.
From the Judges' Report
Mountains & Minds benefited from a unique point of view and strong sense of place that blended well its Montana identity with stories that had cross-appeal to someone unaffiliated with the university or even the state.
We were impressed with the excellent photography, the well-designed and presented “Fieldnotes” news update by the numbers, and stories like “Apples to Apples,” about preserving Montana heritage apples.
Of all the top magazines, Mountains & Minds had a significantly lower unit cost— $1.60 per copy, compared with Stanford Business’s $5, for example. As Montana State said in its entry, it’s “an example of editorial excellence produced with limited resources.”
