Knoll honored nationally as outstanding adviser

There’s no question to students at Pittsburg State University that Prevention and Wellness Coordinator J.T. Knoll goes above and beyond for them. From serving as a mentor to stepping in to offer health lectures when instructors need to miss class, his commitment to higher education is a constant.

Now, he’s earned national kudos for his work.

Knoll, the adviser for PSU’s Gorillas in Your Midst – Peer Health Education has been awarded the National Outstanding Adviser of the Year Award by the BACCHUS Network. The non-profit organization promotes student-driven leadership to encourage safe lifestyles on issues such as alcohol abuse, tobacco use, illegal drug use, unhealthy sexual practices and other high-risk behaviors.

The award was presented at the organization’s General Assembly meeting on Nov. 10 in Atlanta. Knoll, who was nominated by a student, was one of five winners from more than 900 schools across the nation. Other winners were from Harvard University, Gustavus Adolphus College, Roger Williams University, and Bradley University.

“It’s an honor to be acknowledged by BACCHUS, an organization that has supported student leadership and has been saving students’ lives since 1975,” Knoll said. “I wouldn’t have been selected were it not for the peer health education work of Gorillas in Your Midst. They’ve achieved repeated recognition at every level for the past 15 years.”

Other awards given at the conference include Outstanding Student, Outstanding Program, and Outstanding Alumni. This year, nearly 1,000 students and advisors from campuses across the country attended the ceremony.

---Pitt State---