Fresno State Athletics
Bulldog Kevin Cooper Wins President's Medal
5/20/2006 12:00:00 AM | General
May 20, 2006
FRESNO, Calif. - President John D. Welty honored Kevin Cooper, a member of the Fresno State football team, as the university's top student and presented him with the prestigious President's Medal at California State University, Fresno's 95th Commencement ceremony Saturday morning at the Save Mart Center.
Welty presented Cooper with the award during Commencement. It is the highest honor the university gives to a graduating student. Nearly 14,000 people turned out for the Class of 2006 University Commencement ceremony in the Save Mart Center. The Division of Student Affairs reports 4,080 students completed their work in the summer, fall or spring semesters and are eligible for bachelor's degrees. A total of 53 student-athletes were honored during graduation ceremonies.
Cooper completed his B.S. in Business Administration, Finance option, with a 4.0 GPA in three years of study. A member of the Bulldog football team, he was the top academic performer during his career and was named to the Academic All-WAC team for the 2004 season. He won the Dean's Medal as the top graduate of the prestigious Craig School of Business
The President's Medal winner is selected from among the nine undergraduate Dean's Medalists, chosen as the outstanding students in each of the university's eight schools and colleges of academic discipline and the Division of Student Affairs. The dean of each selects an undergraduate medalist based on academic excellence, community involvement and other outstanding achievements.
An offensive guard, Cooper suffered a career-ending injury after the 2004 season, but has continued to work with the Dogs as a student assistant in the video department. A frequent volunteer at Children's Hospital Central California, Cooper conducted a marketing and recruitment campaign for the Boys2Men/Girls2Women Foundation. He is enrolled in the Craig School's M.B.A. program and plans to attend law school.
"Having the top student at Fresno State as a part of our program is a great accomplishment and speaks volumes for Fresno State football," said head football coach Pat Hill, who recruited Cooper to Fresno State. "I'm very proud of Kevin for his accomplishments. He has overcome adversity with a serious football injury but never lost his focus and continued to compete in the class room. Kevin has all of the qualities and characteristics we look to recruit. He is the epitome of a Bulldog football player and I know he will be very successful in his future."
Cooper is the third Bulldog student-athlete to win the award since 1998. Dr. Derek Mitchell, a star on Bulldog track & field team, won the award in 1998. He has since earned a doctorate degree from Johns Hopkins University. Mitchell won three WAC championships in the long and triple jumps.
The 2000 President's Medalist was Dora Djilianova, an All-American tennis player who owns the Fresno State record for most career victories with 129. She was an Academic All-American in 1999 while leading the Bulldogs to their first WAC championship. Fresno State advanced to the Sweet 16 of the NCAA championships.
The selection of Cooper as the top student at Fresno State is another significant academic achievement for the Bulldog football program. Under Hill, the Bulldogs have produced 80 Academic All-WAC student-athletes, the most in the conference during that time. In 2005, Fresno State had a school-record 15 Academic All-WAC football players. Prior to Hill's arrival, Fresno State had just nine Academic All-WAC selections.
The Bulldogs most recent NCAA Academic Progress Rate (APR) score ranks among the nation's best for public institutions. Among other Division I-A programs in the west, which includes all schools in the Western Athletic Conference, Pac-10 and Mountain West Conferences, Fresno State has the second-best APR school for public schools. When compared all schools from California and the Pac-10 conference, Fresno State's NCAA APR ranks second behind Stanford.
Former Bulldog Sam Iocabellis Receives Honorary Doctorate of Science
During Saturday's commencement ceremonies, Welty also honored a former Bulldog football player, Sam Iocabellis, with an honorary Doctorate of Science degree.
Iacobellis served as executive vice president and deputy chairman of major programs at Rockwell International and served as president of Rockwell's North American Aviation Operations. Rockwell International is a diversified high-tech, global corporation engaged in the research, development and manufacture of a wide range of products for commercial and government markets. He is internationally recognized as a pioneer in aerospace technology.
Mr. Iacobellis went from working on his parents' ranch in rural Fresno County to earning a bachelor's degree in mechanical engineering in 1952 at Fresno State. At Rockwell, he became the `Father of the B1B' the U.S. Air Force's premier strategic bomber. He holds patents on original concepts in engine design and turbo-molecular vacuum pumping.
In 1984, President Ronald Reagan commended Mr. Iacobellis and Rockwell for their teamwork in coordinating the efforts of 5,200 suppliers and subcontractors and 55,000 workers nationwide to build the B-1B. "Yours is the work of peace," President Reagan told Mr. Iacobellis. "The B-1B strategic bomber will keep America prepared for peace."
Sam Iacobellis completed a distinguished career in 1995 with numerous honors including the 2001 Howard Hughes Memorial Award. He is a registered professional engineer in the fields of mechanical and nuclear engineering. He reports his Fresno State experience was `excellent preparation for launching an engineering management career with a major high technology diversified corporation. Iocabellis was a four-year varsity football letterman, 1948-51.
In 1997, he was elected president of the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics. He has served on the U.S. Space Foundation, the Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, the California Chamber of Commerce, the California State University Foundation, and the California Business Roundtable.
In recognition of his achievements, his leadership, and his civic commitment, the Board of Trustees of the California State University and California State University, Fresno are proud to confer on Sam F. Iacobellis the honorary degree of Doctor of Science.
Fresno State's Graduating Student-Athletes
Emily Brown, Equestrian
Stacey Jo McCalmont, Equestrian
Leyla Mundy, Equestrian
Julia Scrivani, Equestrian
Ashley Thiesen, Equestrian
Jordan Christensen, Football
Kevin Cooper, Football
Tyrone Culver, Football
Joe Fernandez, Football
Jermaine Jamison, Football
Adam Jennings, Football
Devyn McDonald, Football
Adam Messick, Football
Paul Pinegar, Football
Matt Rivera, Football
Dartangon Shack, Football
Bryson Sumlin, Football
Raymond Washington, Football
Mark Wood, Football
George McKean, Men's Golf
Mark Modglin, Men's Golf
Matt Studwell, Men's Track & Field
Andy Sinn, Men's Tennis
Leticia Pacheco, Softball
Amanda Wolf, Softball
Koleen Anderson, Soccer
Barbara Davis, Soccer
Regina Esparza, Soccer
Kortney Lewis, Soccer
Chelsea Mays, Soccer
Erika Sugano, Soccer
Jackie Wax, Soccer
Julie Heaton, Swimming & Diving
Nika Nakamoto, Swimming & Diving
Lindsay Palmberg, Swimming & Diving
Whitney Arena, Volleyball
Tiffany Bishop, Volleyball
Amanda Magalei, Volleyball
Barbara Johnson, Women's Basketball
Aritta Lane, Women's Basketball
Amy Parrish, Women's Basketball
Garrett Spooner, Wrestling
Jamie Farley, Women's Track & Field
Winnie Fletcher, Women's Track & Field
La'Sha Hill, Women's Track & Field
Stacy Hunt, Women's Track & Field
Regina Ollison, Women's Track & Field
Alia Qali, Women's Track & Field
Courtney Stewart, Women's Track & Field
Katrina Vinson, Women's Track & Field
Heather Walberg, Women's Track & Field
Players Mentioned
