By Laci Jones, FAPC Communications Services Student

(Stillwater, Okla. – May 12, 2015) An Oklahoma State University Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center staff member was recognized as the Outstanding Business Student of the Year for Northern Oklahoma College – Stillwater.

Lori Fancher, FAPC administrative assistant, received a $200 award and certificate during a reception for graduating students at the First United Methodist Church in Stillwater on April 28.

Fancher said she was surprised and honored to receive the Outstanding Business Student of the Year award.

“I was humbled,” she said. “I was in class, and my teacher said she needed to see me and another student outside. She said she chose me as the outstanding business student and the other student as the outstanding accounting student.”

NOC – Stillwater business faculty member, Leslie Johns, said she chose Fancher for this award based on her grade point average, work ethic, positive attitude and completion of an associate’s degree.

“There were several students who were very outstanding,” Johns said. “It was difficult to make a decision because I wish I could recognize all outstanding students. However, when making the final decision, Lori was the one I kept returning to who met all the criteria.”

To receive the award, Fancher had to maintain at least a 3.5 GPA and earn at least 18 credit hours for the 2014 - 2015 school year.

In addition to receiving the Outstanding Business Student of the Year award, Fancher graduated with her associate’s degree in May, inducted into the Kappa Beta Delta Business Honor Society and earned the OSU Regents Distinguished Transfer Scholarship.

“My future plans include continuing to work as an administrative assistant at FAPC while pursuing a bachelor’s degree in business administrative management at OSU,” Fancher said.

Johns said she believes Fancher will excel at OSU and do amazing things in the future.

“I am proud of Lori and the extreme effort and hard work she put forth in obtaining her Associate of Science in business administration,” Johns said. “She was a joy to have in my classroom.”

Fancher has worked for FAPC, a part of OSU’s Division of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources, for the past five years and has been with OSU for a decade.

“Lori is a great asset to FAPC, and we are extremely proud of her accomplishments,” said Roy Escoubas, FAPC director. “It is always exciting when someone decides to further their education, and FAPC supports academic growth for all of its employees. We wish all the best to Lori as she continues her education.”

- ### -

Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant system of interdisciplinary programs that prepares students for success. OSU is America’s Brightest Orange. Through leadership and service, OSU is preparing students for a bright future and building a brighter world for all. As Oklahoma’s only university with a statewide presence, OSU improves the lives of people in Oklahoma, the nation and the world through integrated, high-quality teaching, research and outreach. OSU has more than 36,000 students across its five-campus system and more than 24,000 on its combined Stillwater and Tulsa campuses, with students from all 50 states and around 120 nations. Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 245,000 students to serve Oklahoma, the nation and the world.