News from Chemical Engineering

Campus Royalty – Fall 2001       

The Homecoming King and Queen are selected from the top ten “Royalty” students on campus. It is not a beauty contest! The criteria for admission to the Royalty are academic performance, contribution to the community, awareness of current events, ability to quickly and intelligently discuss complex issues, and personal values. There are several rounds of interviews by separate judging groups that select the final two from 10, from 20, from 40, from the original 100 applicants. The judges are faculty, alumni, and OSU administrators; so, the process is designed to find the most talented, energetic, beneficent, leaders from the student population who will best represent the values of OSU as a world-class comprehensive university.

Chemical Engineering students Jason Beene and Ashley Price are members of this year’s Royalty. While the criteria for admission is neither beauty nor campus popularity, both are campus leaders, and a picture is worth a thousand words.

Ashley Price, from Kansas City, Kansas, a sophomore, is a Phillips Scholar. She is also a VP for the CEAT Student Council, V.P for her Kappa Alpha Theta sorority, a member of Omicron Delta Kappa (the national leadership honorary), a leader on the Student Alumni Board, and an officer for the “Big Event” (which organizes students for community service).

Jason Beene, from Cushing, Oklahoma, a junior is in the OSU Honors Program. He is also a VP for the CEAT Student Council, on the Student Alumni Board, a VP for Omicron Delta Kappa, an executive for the annual Orange Peel, and a member of the Mortarboard and Golden Key.

Only a bit over 1% of the OSU undergraduates are Chemical Engineering students, so to have our chemical engineering students comprise 20% of the Royalty indicates a considerable success of our program in recruiting, developing, and encouraging outstanding human performance. While Ashley and Jason were willing, and able, to be honored; they indicate the values and ability that are shared throughout our entire School. We have a whole bunch that are just as wonderful, and are a great source of pride.

But, the story gets even wider in scope for the College. Six of the 10 Royalty, 60%, were CEAT students.