Inspiring Art for Public Health: OU Graphic Design Students and Center for Public Health Practice Team Up for Prostate Cancer Awareness

This semester, a team of senior graphic design students from OU's Weitzenhoffer Family College of Fine Arts joined forces with the Hudson College of Public Health's Center for Public Health Practice to design prostate cancer awareness campaigns. With funding from Jeff Davis and support from OU’s College of Medicine Department of Urology and Stephenson Cancer Center, this innovative collaboration highlights how visual art can play a powerful role in promoting early screening and health education.

In Professor Karen Hayes-Thumann's course, teams of students developed campaigns using graphics and messaging to encourage men across Oklahoma to talk to their doctors about prostate cancer screening. On October 24, 2024, students presented their final projects to faculty and staff from the Center for Public Health Practice, Department of Urology, and Stephenson Cancer Center, where the top design was chosen to move forward for further testing. As the next step, the winning campaign will be piloted with focus groups representing diverse backgrounds, ethnicities, and regions across the state, ensuring that all voices are heard and considered in the fight against prostate cancer.

“I'm so impressed by these students and their incredible work. My prostate cancer was already advanced when I was diagnosed, and seeing any of these campaigns would have made a difference in me talking to my doctor and getting screened sooner. I look forward to seeing prostate cancer awareness campaigns and messages like these across Oklahoma, encouraging Oklahoma men to get screened and diagnosed in the early stages.” – Jeff Davis

The first-place winners are Hope Ledebur and Lucy Law, the second-place winners are Sydney Armstrong and Jarrett Garza, and the third-place winners are Connor Parrott and Margarita Rodriguez. There were also awards for “best tagline,” “most creative,” “most heartfelt,” and “funniest.” These awards were given to recognize the most effective and innovative ways of communicating the campaign's message and to acknowledge the emotional impact and humor used in the campaigns.

These campaigns reflect a successful and ongoing collaboration between the Hudson College of Public Health and the School of Visual Arts, building on past projects that showcased the powerful fusion of art and public health. In 2019, OU students developed artwork for Oklahoma Pride: Working Together for the Well-Being of All Oklahomans, a book by philanthropist Gene Rainbolt and edited by Dean Gary Raskob of the Hudson College of Public Health. Rainbolt, an OU alumnus and passionate health advocate, envisioned the book's imagery as a way to spark dialogue on health issues across Oklahoma. His support led to a dedicated fund for future graphic design student projects in public health. These funds were used this year to award the top three prostate cancer design teams with scholarships, resulting in $1000 to the first-place winners, $500 to the second-place winners, and $250 to the third-place winners.

These collaborative projects highlight the unique power of creative partnerships in addressing public health needs. As the prostate cancer campaign moves toward launch, this initiative continues to build on a rich history of using art to inspire change—ensuring that public health messages are heard and felt across Oklahoma.