Ms. Karen Smith, a longtime employee for the OSU College of Arts and Sciences, was well known throughout the academic community for helping undergraduates reach their full potential. Ms. Smith, 50, died Friday, Nov. 2, 2012, in Stillwater, Oklahoma. A service will be held at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at Hillcrest Baptist Church, Stillwater.

At the time of her death, Ms. Smith was a senior academic counselor in the Department of Zoology. She was instrumental in designing a symposium opportunity for zoology undergraduates to present results from independent studies.

“Ms. Smith served as a role model for the students she advises and pushed them to expect more from themselves and to achieve,” Regents Professor and zoology head Loren Smith said. “She will be greatly missed by all of us."

The Department of Zoology has set up the Karen L. Smith Undergraduate Symposium Fund in her honor.