From the Nominator

"Michigan State University is home to the world’s most powerful heavy-ion accelerator and the nation’s top-ranked nuclear physics graduate program, but our audiences aren’t experts in nuclear science, let alone comfortable with its core concepts.   

A science writer in MSU’s central communications office first pitched this video project as a short story that would explain what isotopes are so he wouldn’t have to do it every time he covered news about the particle accelerator on campus. But with the grand opening of that accelerator on the horizon and the word “isotope” in its name, our content team and video producers saw an opportunity for something bigger and more impactful.   

The goals became to help audiences understand why MSU, the state of Michigan and U.S. Department of Energy invested hundreds of millions of dollars to open the Facility for Rare Isotope Beams (FRIB) and for viewers to understand the basics of isotopes and their importance.   

To do that, we interviewed world-class MSU researchers using isotopes to explore the cosmos and help treat cancer. Our creative team distilled those interviews into a tight three minutes and presented the information in a way that was both unexpected and familiar. We leaned into pop culture, got nostalgic with educational film reels and asked researchers about their favorite isotopes to make this video about nuclear physics feel more human and relatable.    

The results exceeded baselines for research-focused videos, proving a video about a complex scientific topic could engage a broad audience."

From the Judges

The judges were thoroughly impressed with MSU's ability to hit a home run with their video, effectively tackling a complex topic while engaging a broad audience. The video's success in capturing attention and resonating with viewers highlighted the skillful storytelling and presentation. The judges recognized achievement in effectively conveying the message, making it a deserving recognition.