Board of Trustees

SEHS student honored with O’Dowd Graduate Award

O'Dowd, graduate award, Chloe, Jones, leadership, School of Education and Human Services, Board of Trustees

icon of a calendarMay 4, 2023

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SEHS student honored with O’Dowd Graduate Award
Chloe Megan Jones
Chloe Megan Jones is the 2023 Don and Jan O'Dowd Graduate Award recipient.

Master of Education student Chloe Megan Jones has been named the 2023 recipient of the Don and Jan O’Dowd Graduate Award.  

This honor is presented annually to a graduate student who has made outstanding contributions through exemplary leadership and/or service at Oakland University and the surrounding community. The recipient exemplifies traits such as intellectual curiosity, enthusiasm, leadership, compassion and dedication to their field of study.

OU’s Graduate Council reviews candidates for the award and recommends the nominee for final approval to the Executive Vice President for Academic Affairs and Provost. Jones was recognized by OU’s Board of Trustees at its most recent formal meeting. 

Jones will graduate this August with a Master of Education in Special Education, with a concentration in Applied Behavior Analysis. She demonstrated academic excellence by maintaining a 4.0 GPA and serving as a graduate research assistant for the Department of Human Development and Child Studies. She has contributed to over 15 research projects, as well as eight NIH grant applications, published two peer-reviewed works and presented research at peer-reviewed regional conferences.

In addition, Jones showed outstanding leadership through her graduate assistantship, conducting research and supporting other students by working with them on areas for growth and improvement. 

She also helped the surrounding community by providing behavioral services to students engaging in problem behavior through a school-based collaboration with Hazel Park School District. In this role, she provides both on-site consultation to students with behavioral challenges and also supports their teachers. 

The award is named for longtime OU supporters Dr. Don O’Dowd and his wife, Jan. Dr. O’Dowd was an integral part of the founding of Oakland University beginning in 1959, holding numerous positions, including Professor of Psychology, Dean of the University, Provost, Vice Chancellor of Academic Affairs and founding Dean of the Graduate School.

Dr. O’Dowd served as Acting Chancellor of MSU-Oakland and then as the first President of the newly independent Oakland University for the next decade. The O’Dowds left an indelible mark on OU that continues to this day.

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