UDM's 'Spiritus' magazine wins prestigious CASE Best of District V Award
University of Detroit Mercy’s alumni magazine Spiritus won the 2025 Best of District V Award from the Council for Advancement and Support of Education (CASE). This recognition places Spiritus among the top creative and innovative college and university magazines across the Midwest.
The award was announced Nov. 4. CASE made special recognition of the magazine’s outstanding storytelling, design and impact. UDM’s winning edition of the magazine was the spring 2024 issue, which was selected from submissions across District V (Great Lakes District), a part of the country that includes 400+ member institutions from Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Minnesota, Ohio and Wisconsin.
Spiritus is delivered to 67,000 households across the country biannually. In addition, the electronic version is read by thousands more. Each issue highlights Detroit Mercy's past, present and future by showcasing stories from all eight schools and colleges. The magazine seeks to engage a broad audience beyond the University and creatively connect readers to additional news resources, including the University’s website and blog.
Editor-in-chief Ron Bernas and creative designer Gaby Rivas led a thoughtful redesign of Spiritus in 2023 that continues to resonate with alumni and other readers. This CASE recognition reflects their exceptional expertise in feature writing, graphic design and visual narratives.
“We are incredibly proud of our marketing and communications team for receiving the CASE Best of District V Award for Spiritus this year,” said Dennis Carlesso, vice president for University Advancement at Detroit Mercy. “This achievement demonstrates the remarkable creativity and collaboration behind the magazine and highlights MarCom’s dedication to showcasing the spirit and faith in action that define our university.”
CASE District V serves as a leading resource for professionals in alumni relations, communications, development and marketing, with a purpose to help advance the cause of education. The award affirms Detroit Mercy’s commitment to compelling, mission-driven storytelling.
Members of UDM’s MarCom department will attend the CASE District V Annual Conference in Indianapolis, April 27-29, 2026, where they will receive the award.