The Irvine Valley College Environmental Leadership Committee (ELC) recently hosted a student logo design contest to create a new visual identity reflecting the college's commitment to sustainability, education, and campus engagement. Students from Gokce Kasikci's Digital Media Art (DMA) 192 and Gregory Harlan's DMA 175 courses participated.
First place was awarded to Ahlam Attallah, who will receive a $500 prize for her winning design. Parinaz Ahranjani was named runner-up and will receive a $250 award.
The contest invited students to design a logo that captures ELC's mission as a collaborative, cross-campus group advancing environmental stewardship and climate responsibility — including its formal role as the lead body for Goal 5.2 of IVC's Inspire 2035 Strategic Plan, which focuses on integrating environmentally responsible practices, reducing the college's environmental impact, and promoting sustainability education and awareness. Submissions were evaluated on concept strength, clarity of message, visual impact, scalability, and alignment with ELC's mission and the college’s Inspire 2035 Strategic Plan.
The winning designs stood out for moving beyond traditional environmental imagery, instead representing sustainability through themes of connection, systems thinking, and collective action. The selected logo will be used across campus signage, digital platforms, events, and sustainability communications to increase visibility and engagement in ELC initiatives. In her design brief, Attallah describes a logo that uses positive and negative space with geometric forms to convey sustainability and environmental leadership. The design integrates symbols of solar energy and ocean waves — where sun rays represent renewable energy and a forward-thinking future, and waves reflect natural systems and environmental balance. A central spiral motif symbolizes growth, continuous progress, and the cyclical nature of sustainability, creating a modern, distinctive identity.
The contest and selection process were led by ELC co-chairs Jodi Titus, professor of sustainability and resource Management and Geography, and Anna Petrossian, LEED AP BD+C, Interim Director of Facilities. A cross-functional review group representing students, faculty, classified staff, and administrators evaluated submissions, with final approval made collaboratively by ELC and Marketing and Creative Services.
"The contest gave students a meaningful opportunity to shape how sustainability is represented and experienced on campus," said Titus. "What they created goes beyond a logo — it's a reflection of how our students are driving the future of sustainability at IVC."
First Place: Ahlam Attallah
Runner Up: Parinaz Ahranjani
