Best of CASE District VI Award
 

Institution: Missouri University of Science & Technology

Title of entry: S&T community helps with recovery after tornado rips through Rolla

About this entry: In the days immediately following the tornado that struck Rolla during Missouri S&T’s St. Patrick’s Day weekend — the largest annual event in the city — this story focused on how the S&T community showed up for Rolla at a moment of tension and trauma. While some residents were upset that any St. Pat’s activities continued, the writer spent several hours on the ground with student and employee volunteers, assisting with cleanup, observing their work in damaged neighborhoods, and capturing what they were doing to help and why they felt compelled to act.

Rather than relying on official university statements, the article focused on real people — students hauling debris, fraternity and sorority members delivering supplies, and individuals who returned with their own trucks and equipment to keep working. The writer also interviewed researchers, including Dr. Grace Yan, a structural engineering professor who leads research on wind damage and disaster recovery, to document how S&T used drones to assess damage and share footage with the Rolla School District, the City of Rolla and the National Weather Service.

The goal was to show clearly and quickly that Missouri S&T was not separate from Rolla. It is part of the city, and the campus community was actively contributing to recovery even while processing its own disruption. The piece generated strong positive public response, helped counter negative perceptions about St. Pat’s weekend and provided a timely, human record of how S&T responded in a crisis.