DMU Marketing and Communications team (L to R): Paul Joy, Erin Smith, Denise Lamphier MA, Lindsey Giardino, Nicole Branstad, Lisa Strittmatter, Stephanie Greiner MS, Jordan Bohr, Sarah McCoy, and Kathryn Finney
WEST DES MOINES, IOWA (May 21, 2026) — The marketing and communications team at Des Moines University (DMU) Medicine and Health Sciences has been named the 2026 Marketing Department of the Year by the American Marketing Association Iowa Chapter. The honor was presented during the 21st annual NOVA Awards on May 7, 2026, at The District Venue in Ankeny, Iowa.
The NOVA Awards — regarded as one of Iowa's top recognitions for marketing excellence — honor organizations and teams that demonstrate outstanding innovation, strategy, and results. The marketing department of the year distinction recognizes in-house teams that successfully elevate and advance their organization's brand.
DMU's marketing and communications team earned the recognition for its strategic leadership in advancing the university's brand, strengthening digital engagement, and supporting institutional growth. The team's work emphasizes authentic storytelling, creative strategy, and alignment with DMU's mission to improve lives in the global community by educating diverse groups of highly-competent and compassionate health professionals.
Entries for the 2026 NOVA awards were judged by a panel of marketing professionals from AMA chapters outside Iowa, providing an objective review from peers across the country. The DMU marketing and communications team is led by Stephanie Greiner MS, vice president of university advancement, with support from Denise Lamphier MA, director of marketing and communications. The team includes Jordan Bohr, Nicole Branstad, Kathryn Finney, Lindsey Giardino, Paul Joy, Sarah McCoy, Erin Smith, and Lisa Strittmatter.
"This recognition reflects a team that consistently brings together strategy and creativity to support DMU's mission," Greiner says.
"This work ensures that DMU's story is told in a way that resonates with prospective students, our alumni and the broader community."
The department supports marketing and communications efforts for DMU's eleven graduate-level health-sciences programs, a research enterprise, the Des Moines University Clinic, the DMU32 Health and Business Complex, fundraising initiatives, and other strategic university priorities.
Visit the AMA Iowa NOVA Awards page for more details on the awards and a full list of winners.
Located in West Des Moines, part of Iowa's capital metro, Des Moines University Medicine and Health Sciences offers eleven graduate-level professional degree programs in anatomy, biomedical sciences, health-care administration, occupational therapy, osteopathic medicine, physical therapy, physician-assistant studies, podiatric medicine, and public health. Founded in 1898, the institution offers superior academics in a collaborative environment. DMU students' scores on national examinations, pass-rates on board certifications, and match-rates for medical residency programs are consistently higher than national averages and rates at peer institutions.
