Russell Jones of Blacksburg, Va., and a professor of psychology in the College of Science at Virginia Tech, has been nominated by U.S. Department of Education Secretary Margaret Spellings to serve on the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities Advisory (SDFSCA) Committee.

The committee provides advice to the Secretary on federal, state and local programs designed to create safe and drug-free schools and on issues related to crisis planning.

Jones is an expert in the psychological effects of trauma on children He has served as special counsel to First Lady Laura Bush on a visit to hurricane-ravaged areas of the Gulf Coast and continues to serve as an adviser to the White House on children, natural disasters, and trauma. Jones is a member of the Terrorism and Disaster Branch of the National Child Traumatic Stress Network and recently became a member of the Hurricane Katrina Community Advisory Group administered by the Department of Health Care Policy at the Harvard Medical School.

Jones received his Ph.D. and master's degree from Pennsylvania State University, and a bachelor's degree from Western Michigan University.

The purpose of the SDFSCA is to support programs that: (1) prevent violence in and around schools; (2) prevent the illegal use of alcohol, tobacco, and drugs; (3) involve parents and community efforts; and (4) are coordinated with related federal, state, school, and community efforts and resources to foster a safe and drug-free learning environment that promotes student academic achievement.

The College of Science at Virginia Tech gives students a comprehensive foundation in the scientific method. Outstanding faculty members teach courses and conduct research in biology, chemistry, economics, geosciences, mathematics, physics, psychology, and statistics. The college is dedicated to fostering a research intensive environment and offers programs in nano-scale and biological sciences, information theory and science, and supports research centers—in areas such as biomedical and public health sciences, and critical technology and applied science—that encompass other colleges at the university. The College of Science also houses programs in pre-medicine and scientific law. Virginia Tech, the most comprehensive university in Virginia, is dedicated to quality, innovation, and results to the commonwealth, the nation, and the world.

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