OSU senior caps off undergraduate career with USA Today honor

Friday, April 21, 2006

Oklahoma State University senior Kyle Jones has been named honorable mention to USA Today's All-USA College Academic Team, a group that includes the nation’s outstanding undergraduates. Jones was awarded the honor for his achievements in the classroom and contributions to his community.

“I’m honored to just be considered for this award,” Jones said. “It’s a great way for OSU to receive the recognition it deserves.”

Jones, a political science/economics double major from Norman, Oklahoma, based his candidacy on a project with the OSU Student Affairs office to promote Community Emergency Response Team training in Stillwater and on the OSU campus. Over a period of five months, 83 people were certified in the training preparation for large-scale disasters.

While Stillwater may not be considered a prime target for disasters of a terrorist scale, Jones said it is vital for people to be armed with practical knowledge.

“When you think of Boone Pickens Stadium holding 60,000 people or Gallagher-Iba holding 13,000, there’s a definite potential to be a target, and people need to be prepared,” Jones said. “We taught them how to appropriately suppress fires, understand basic search and rescue techniques, distribute first aid and handle the psychological aftermath involved in large-scale disasters.

“It was a rewarding experience because how often do you teach people how to respond to things of this nature that affect so many people?”
       
This USA Today honor caps off Jones’ stellar career at OSU. Last year, he was the first OSU recipient of the U.S. State Department’s Pickering Fellowship, and most recently, he was named by the College of Arts and Sciences as a top 10 senior and by the OSU Alumni Association as one of their Outstanding Seniors. He plans to use the Pickering Fellowship next fall to pursue graduate studies in public policy at Harvard.

Dr. Robert Graalman, director of OSU’s Office of Scholar Development and Recognition, said the USA Today honor is suitable for Jones to close his undergraduate collegiate career.

“Kyle has proven to be one of OSU’s most versatile and accomplished students, proving to be well-rounded both academically and in travel,” Graalman said. “USA Today’s recognition is a good way to honor his success.”