Three UNI students who worked on a group project in a Digital Customer Experience class won a National Student Gold ADDY for their work at the Admerica national AAF conference in Austin, Texas on Friday, May 29, 2026.
Muhammad Khan Niazi (Graphic Design), Breyer Ellison (Sales Management), and Reiter Patzner (Business Administration) accepted the award from AAF President Steve Pacheco
Their working prototype of the UNI course registration system was developed after conducting user research, building user personas, writing detailed context scenarios, and designing a framework with detailed design elements as part of Digital Customer Experience (MKTG 3148).
Before competing at the national level, the project first won Best-in-Show and a Gold ADDY at the AAF Cedar Valley awards event in February, then won Best-in-Show and a Gold ADDY at the AAF District 9 awards event.
The American Advertising Awards event included both student awards and professional awards. Among those winning ADDY awards that evening were many of the great agencies of our time: Leo Burnett, Saatchi & Saatchi, BBDO, Edelman, Digitas, Highdive, Goodby Silverstein & Partners, Carmichael Lynch, and GSD&M,
Reflecting upon the national acclaim this project has earned, Niazi wrote, “No one expected that three guys from the University of Northern Iowa to be standing on that stage, sharing it with the biggest brands and faces in the advertising industry. But there we were.”
He offered the following advice: “The whole night, I just kept thinking: the only real limitations are the ones you set for yourself. Yes, it might come easier if you’re sitting in a bigger city or going to a bigger school, but if three boys from Iowa can make it to a national stage, then anyone with the right mindset can too. So dream big. Do the work, don’t let your limitations or barriers tell you what you can’t do.”
Marketing & Entrepreneurship professor and AAF faculty advisor M. Wilson, said, “I felt a deep sense of pride at the success these three students achieved. As a former creative director who now teaches at a business college, it was so rewarding to see a graphic design major work so effectively with two business majors to create something visually elegant while addressing key improvements for the end customer that drove a more successful user experience. The lengths they went to produce this prototype exceeded every expectation – and I’m so happy to see it get the recognition it deserves.”
Niazi has graduated and is looking to continue his UX education by getting a Masters in Human Computer Interaction (HCI) next year.
Breyer will return to UNI for his senior year next year, where he will continue as President of Pi Sigma Epsilon at UNI.
Reiter will graduate in December, 2026 and is currently doing a summer internship at Kendall Hunt Publishing in Dubuque, Iowa.
Also competing at the national level in this year’s awards was AAF President Lee Beauchamp, who received a Gold ADDY at both the local and district level for their motion design animation: “What is a Motion Designer?”
Students also got to attend workshops and presentations while at Admerica, including the keynote panel discussion of Coca-Cola’s newly launched Drink in America campaign, featuring Senior Director of Content & Creative Excellence at Coca Cola Alex Ames and Ogilvy ECD Donna Lukas.
American Advertising Awards
The American Advertising Awards is the advertising industry’s largest and most representative competition, attracting more than 25,000 entries every year. The mission of the American Advertising Awards is to recognize and reward the creative spirit of excellence in the art of advertising.
For a complete list of 2026 ADDY winners, go to: americanadvertisingawards.com.
