Pellissippi State has a new look this spring with the launch of a redesigned logo.
The new logo was designed by Creative Projects Coordinator Mark Friebus, a Pellissippi State alumnus, who drafted several versions over the course of five months sharing with stakeholders, soliciting feedback and then redesigning.
The college logo – which had not been refreshed for nearly 15 years – is a sleeker version of the old that lends itself to more flexible design options. The ubiquitous Pellissippi gold and blue shield remains the cornerstone of the design, but the font change offers a “more industrial look to honor Pellissippi State’s beginning as an engineering institute and adds a white border around the shield to add contrast against the college’s traditional Pellissippi blue,” Friebus said.
The brand refresh is just one of the initiatives underway that are designed to raise the profile of the college, said Marketing and Communications Executive Director Rachel McClelland who joined Pellissippi State in July after working in a variety of similar roles with the University of Tennessee and Indiana State University.
“Regardless of what messages and materials you may see coming out of Pellissippi State Marketing and Communications, we want to be positively impacting user perceptions about who we are and what we bring to the community,” she said.
“Our branding helps us maintain consistency in our campaigns, advertisements, tools and materials, reflecting our values and our mission while helping us better connect with students,” she said.
With the new logo, the Marketing and Communications office is also realigning priorities to focus on student recruitment and retention. External Affairs Vice President Patty Weaver said that’s also a priority for the college at large.
“Pellissippi State holds an important place in Knox and Blount counties,” Weaver said. “We are annually graduating roughly 1,500 students, the majority of whom continue to work, make their homes, and contribute to our community.”
“Going forward, you’ll begin to see more of our messages showcasing the impact that Pellissippi State and our graduates are having in making East Tennessee the incredible place that it is,” Weaver said.
Pellissippi State will celebrate its 50th anniversary in 2025, and a variety of events are planned that will highlight the institution, its history, and its past and present contributions to the community.