OSU provost attends Oklahoma food industry leaders advisory meeting
By Kylee Willard
FAPC Communications Services Graduate Assistant
(Stillwater, Okla. – Aug. 2, 2011) Oklahoma State University’s provost visited with Oklahoma food industry leaders during a recent Robert M. Kerr Food & Agricultural Products Center Industry Advisory Committee meeting.
Dr. Bob Sternberg, OSU provost and senior vice president, discussed the importance of supporting growth of value-added food and agricultural products in Oklahoma with food industry leaders from the state.
“There is great value in the FAPC Industry Advisory Committee and other industry advisory boards in keeping programs on-focus and relevant,” Sternberg said. “I support the efforts of the FAPC and feel the FAPC models the purpose and success of the Land Grant University.”
As an experienced administrator, researcher and scholar, Sternberg provided commentary on his desire to better prepare students for post university education through engagement opportunities at facilities such as the FAPC.
“Opportunities at the FAPC aid students in becoming more productive citizens,” Sternberg said.
Sternberg also spoke of new programs initiated by OSU for admissions this fall.
“Currently, there are four ways to gain entrance into OSU as a freshman,” Sternberg said. “Students must meet standards of ACT scores, grade point average at the high school which they graduated, some combination of the two or an option that is more holistic in considering a variety of credentials.”
Through Sternberg’s leadership role at OSU and in a collaboration with Kyle Wray, Christine Crenshaw and the whole office of undergraduate admissions, he anticipates initiating a creative approach to students applying for admission to the university through a fourth component further allowing the demonstration of leadership through creative, analytical, practical and vision-based thought toward a conclusion.
“This approach will allow students who may not have demonstrated excellence in scholarship to demonstrate excellence in leadership to enter Oklahoma State University and work toward a degree program of their choice,” Sternberg said. “Learning research has clearly demonstrated that highly successful businessmen and women were not necessarily the most highly successful students with high GPAs or ACTs.”
Roy Escoubas, FAPC director, said it is essential for food industry leaders, including members of the center’s Industry Advisory Committee, to speak directly with university leaders such as Stenberg.
“We were honored to have Dr. Stenberg attend the FAPC Industry Advisory Committee Meeting,” Escoubas said. “The FAPC strives to be on the forefront of value-added food and agricultural information by providing opportunities for food industry leaders to meet with distinguished individuals.”
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Oklahoma State University is a modern land-grant system of interdisciplinary programs that prepares students for success. 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 35,000 students across its five-campus system and more than 23,000 on its Stillwater campus, with students from all 50 states and 118 nations. Established in 1890, OSU has graduated more than 235,000 students to serve the state of Oklahoma, the nation and the world.
