J.Edgar Hoover Scholarship Presented to Fairmont State
A gift from The Former Agents of the FBI Foundation will help fund scholarships for Fairmont State University students.
Former Special Agent Gary L. Stoops of Little Rock, Ark., worked for many years with the National White Collar Crime Center and was instrumental in the creation of the National Security and Intelligence Program at FSU and its Open Source Intelligence Exchange (OSIX) laboratory at Fairmont State.
“I am a big believer in the need for practical experience to give students work in the real world. We’re dealing with a knowledge market,” he said.
In recognition of J. Edgar Hoover’s pursuit of excellence in educational standards for the FBI, former Agents of the FBI and friends donated funds to establish a perpetual scholarship in his name. Since 1978, one member of the Society of Former Special Agents of the FBI from each of the four national regions is selected at random to choose a college or university to receive the J. Edgar Hoover Memorial Scholarships.
This year, Stoops was selected to represent the South Central Region of The Former Agents of the FBI Foundation and could designate any college or university to receive a $2,500 J. Edgar Hoover Memorial Scholarship. He said he chose FSU because of the excellent work being done by OSIX students.
“Our program continues to have a strong partnership with the FBI. We have a current student interning with the FBI this summer, and many former students are now employed with CJIS or other aspects of the FBI,” said OSIX Director David Abruzzino.
The donation to the Fairmont State Foundation, Inc. will be designated for FSU’s general scholarship fund with a preference that it be used for OSIX students. Stoops presented FSU President Maria Rose and OSIX Director David Abruzzino with the $2,500 during a visit to Fairmont on Thursday, June 5.
“We see OSIX students shine academically throughout the year. These high-achieving students frequently win undergraduate research awards and present in the spring at the Celebration of Student Scholarship,” Rose said.
Fairmont State’s National Security and Intelligence Program is designed to provide students with the tools they need to pursue careers in research or intelligence analysis. OSIX is the laboratory and applied research arm of the University’s National Security and Intelligence Program. Students working in the OSIX lab gather and analyze intelligence from open sources, including online discussion boards, social media and chatrooms, to identify and assess national security and law enforcement threats. For more information about the National Security and Intelligence Program, click here.
For more information on supporting scholarships at FSU, contact the Fairmont State Foundation, Inc. at (304) 534-8786 or visit www.fsufoundation.org.
About the photo:
Former Special Agent Gary L. Stoops presents FSU President Maria Rose with a $2,500 donation for scholarships.
National Security and Intelligence ProgramOSIXOpen Source Intelligence ExchangeFBIGary StoopsDavid AbruzzinoFairmont StateMaria Rose
