Indiana State University Newsroom

Jacob Shawn Byers of Spencer has received Indiana State University's President's Medal for Leadership, Scholarship and Service.

The medal is awarded to a junior or senior who has demonstrated a passion for service, leadership, and academic excellence. A senior majoring in criminology and minoring in military leadership, Byers is an Air Force ROTC cadet who will work in the nuclear operations field as a missile operator.

Since 2011, Byers has served as the external vice president, secretary, and sergeant-at-arms for the Pi Kappa Alpha fraternity, Theta Omicron chapter. He is the recruitment chairman and has increased membership of the fraternity by more than 50 percent. He was also involved in the Student Government Association, where he started on freshman council and was elected a senator in his sophomore year.

Byers received the Andrew Bear Memorial Scholarship and was named best tester in his fraternity's associate new member class. He has also received the Operations Flight Commander's Award and Outstanding Physical Fitness Award from ROTC. While Byers was in field training, his flight was awarded Honor Flight status. Meanwhile, he was able to volunteer more than 1,000 hours to community service, which earned him the Alfred C. Perone Leadership Scholarship.

A graduate of Owen Valley High School, Byers is the son of Ronald D. Byers. He will be recognized at Indiana State University's spring commencement May 9 at Hulman Center, during a 2 p.m. ceremony for students in the College of Technology, Scott College of Business and College of Nursing, Health, and Human Services.

This marks the first year Indiana State has conducted two commencement ceremonies. A 10 a.m. ceremony is scheduled for graduates in the College of Arts and Sciences and Bayh College of Education. No tickets are required for admission to either ceremony. For those unable to attend, the programs will be streamed live at www.indstate.edu

Photo: http://isuphoto.smugmug.com/Other/Headshot-Proofs/AD-Headshot-Proofs/Jacob-Byers/i-x33xVTb/0/XL/April%2002%2C%202015%20Jacob%20Byers%209279-XL.jpg

Writer: Kristen Kilker, media relations assistant, Office of Communications and Marketing, kkilker1@sycamores.indstate.edu or 812-237-3773