CHASS student photographer Lyndsey Rankin became the first student employee to receive a UCR Brand Excellence Award (known as “The Scotties”) for her individual work at this year’s Marketing and Communications Conference.

The fifth-annual UCR Marketing and Communications Conference took place on September 10, 2026, at the Highlander Union Building (HUB). “The Scotties” awards honor UCR schools, colleges, departments, and units whose marketing and communications assets represent the UC Riverside brand through strategy, storytelling, and imagery. Four category winners received a limited-edition Scotty bobblehead.

Rankin’s photography portfolio won The Scotty in the video, photography, and sound category.

Since joining the CHASS Marketing and Communications team in fall 2024, Rankin has photographed CHASS signature events throughout the year, from Welcome Week to Commencement, and everything in between. Rankin’s photos from music concerts, dance performances, TFDP plays, and CHASS signature events have regularly appeared on The Highlander's “Radar” events page and have also been published in The Riversider magazine. Her work also appears regularly in CHASS poster designs, websites, brochures, and social media posts.

“Lyndsey has always been a talented and consistently impressive member of our team,” said Melanie Ramiro, Marketing and Communications Coordinator and supervisor of the CHASS student marketing team. “Her work has caught the eye of some of our most discerning clients within CHASS, as well as external partners, like the editors at The Highlander.”

Rankin will walk the Commencement stage in June 2027 and hopes to work in the publishing industry as a book editor.