ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1997, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, February 7, 1997 TAG: 9702070048
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-1 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: BLACKSBURG
SOURCE: PAUL DELLINGER STAFF WRITER
J. Michael Schmidt, a Virginia Tech junior from Herndon, was honored' Thursday by USA Today as one of 20 top "best and brightest" college students in the nation.
He and the other students will each receive a $2,500 award from USA Today at a reception and luncheon today in Washington, D.C.
The national newspaper listed 60 students, from among 1,253 nominees from across the nation, for what it calls its First, Second and Third All-USA College Academic Teams. Another 64 students were listed for honorable mention.
The top 20 were shown in color photos across a two-page spread in the middle of Section D of USA Today. Schmidt is majoring in biology and environmental science.
The information with his photo cites his project to use sewage sludge as a fertilizer without contaminating ground water by mixing it with sawdust; his research for the U.S. Geological Survey on artificial stream data to determine the best bed-load sediment sampler, and his having designed Virginia Tech's Science Saturdays program for children.
His other activities include the Virginia Tech Museum of Natural History, Earth Day Speaker Committee head, Environmental Science Student Organization, National Honor Society, and a volunteer with the Center for Talented Youth.
He has been secretary and committee chair with the Environmental Science Student Organization; secretary and co-chairman for University Honors; and secretary for the Environmental Coalition.
Another Virginia Tech student, Nicholas Loehr, is among those achieving honorable mention status in the national competition.
Loehr is scheduled to graduate this year, and is studying mathematics. Among his activities is the recording of readings for the blind.
The awards are based on each student's scholastic, intellectual and leadership activities both on and off campus.
Students at Virginia colleges and universities fared well in the competition. Others listed
include Hans Ackerman of Newport News, College of William and Mary, on the First Team with Schmidt; Eric Anderson, Littleton, Colo., University of Virginia, Second Team; Phillip Cramer, Reisterstown, Md., University of Richmond, Third Team; and Adhuna Chhabra, Virginia Commonwealth University, honorable mention.
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