IRVINE, Calif. – Academy of Art University has been selected as the PacWest Sports Information Department of the Year for the 2015-16 season. ART U Assistant Athletics Director, Media Relations Rob Garcia and Sports Information Director Stephen Ellis were honored in a vote of the league's members. It is the second award bestowed upon Academy of Art.

"Academy of Art continues to set the standard for athletic communications in the PacWest with its exemplary efforts and ability to adapt in a constantly changing media landscape," said PacWest Director of Strategic Positioning Jimmy Knodel. "Rob Garcia is one of the longest tenured professionals in the conference and Stephen Ellis seamlessly joined the fold this year to maintain the high level of work and professionalism. These two SID's are among the most respected in the region and are more than deserving of the award."

The Urban Knights enjoyed tremendous success during the 2015-16 season, with nine teams qualifying for the postseason; requiring coverage in California, Oregon, Montana, Missouri, Kansas, Florida, New Mexico and Colorado. Garcia and Ellis collaborated with Director of Marketing Cameron De Lay to provide coverage of various departmental awards including NCAA Award of Excellence, NCAA TeamWorks Competition, PacWest Community Engagement Award, and four NACMA 'Best of' Awards.

"We are extremely humbled by this award," Garcia said. "As the efforts we make are often behind the scenes, it is a special feeling to be recognized by so many hard-working colleagues from around the PacWest Conference. Our coaches and administrators have been extremely supportive, Mark Rivera made important contributions in the fall, Cameron De Lay was a vital cog in our machine all season, and we were fortunate that Sports Information Director Stephen Ellis hit the ground running in October. Both Cameron and Stephen provided our department with the consistent effort we needed to close the year strong. We hold ourselves to a high standard in our office and certainly could not do what we do without highly achieving, inspiring, and engaging student-athletes. This is a testament to them."

With facilities scattered all over San Francisco, operations can be tricky for Academy of Art, but that didn't stop Garcia and Ellis from staying on the edge of new media. ART U produced over 165 YouTube videos this past year including season previews, post-game interviews, and weekly highlights on the "Knights of the Week." They faced their busiest day of the year on Feb. 27 with six sports participating in seven events, producing 114 social media posts (88 on Twitter, 14 on Facebook, and 12 on Instagram).

"I am honored to be recognized for this award alongside of Rob Garcia," Ellis said. "During my first year at Academy of Art, he has played an integral role in shaping who I am as an SID. We both take pride in putting forth our best efforts on a daily basis, and our similar work ethics have allowed us to produce work that we are both proud of. We would not have won this award however, if it were not for the unwavering support from Cameron De Lay, along with all of our other administrators and coaches throughout the year."