THE CHALLENGE: To celebrate the Virginia Tech College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences community by showcasing the creativity and passion of its faculty, students, and graduates

THE SOLUTION: A Virginia Tech theater professor used clown exercises to coach an actor in what iconic role? Was it Falstaff in The Merry Wives of Windsor, The Mute in The Fantasticks, or Puck in A Midsummer Night’s Dream?

None of the above—it was the HokieBird in Lane Stadium.

This story was one of many told in the premiere issue of Illumination to capture the ingenuity of the faculty, students, and alumni of the Virginia Tech College of Liberal Arts and Human Sciences. I chose creativity and innovation to be the focus of the issue’s special report, as those topics are central to the college’s identity.

In addition to the university mascot’s clown work, the special report featured philosophers revolutionizing the way music is made and science is conducted, fashion designers undertaking diplomatic missions, and theater arts professionals recreating the magical world of Hogwarts.

THE RESPONSE: College leaders are always telling a range of audiences about the power of the liberal arts to enrich lives and careers. Through the stories of its faculty, students, and graduates, this issue showed the truth of those words. And those words seem to have resonated, especially with the magazine’s principal target audience, the college’s alumni.

“I just received the new magazine, and it is spectacular,” wrote one alumnus. “I literally read the thing cover to cover.” Other alumni noted the pride the magazine inspired.

“I must admit that I usually give correspondence from Tech a quick skim at most, but the beautiful design reeled me in at the mailbox; I read Illumination cover to cover in one sitting,” an alumna wrote. “Thank you for the terrific read (what engaging and well-crafted content!) and for making me feel proud to be an alumna.”