Feb. 6, 2006

As part of its 10th anniversary celebration the Big 12 Conference is spotlighting past recipients of the Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship Program. To be eligible for consideration a student-athlete must have possessed a cumulative grade point average of 3.5 on a 4.0 scale, participated in at least two years of intercollegiate athletics at the nominating institution, and plan to enroll in graduate school within 15 months of graduation.

This week the Big 12 salutes Iowa State student-athletes and Dr. Prentice Gautt Postgraduate Scholarship winners Kelly Burke and Bob Montgomery.

A member of the ISU soccer team from 2001-04, Burke ended her career as the active leader in matches played with 75 and captured the 2004 Leadership Award for her contributions to the Cyclones' program. She is in her fifth rotation at Saint Louis University Masters dietetic program, specializing in the nutritional needs of cancer patients. Burke also teaches nutrition classes to local middle school students and works in the Saint Louis U. garden project, promoting sustainable natural agriculture.

"The Gautt Scholarship enabled me to come to St. Louis and begin my studies immediately," Burke said. "These are challenging programs, but the scholarship grant has allowed me to concentrate on my studies and not to be as concerned with some of the monetary matters. It has been a wonderful gift."

Bob Montgomery, Iowa State.

Montgomery played four seasons on the Cyclones' football team, three of which went to postseason bowl games. He served as team captain for the 2003 season and was named ISU's Scholar-Athlete of the Year for 2003-04. Montgomery began his Masters Degree program in 2004 while working as offensive line coach at Ames (Iowa) High School before moving on to the same post at Bryant University in Smithfield, R.I., a year later. "The Dr. Prentice Gautt Scholarship was a great personal honor," he said. "It has already helped me in pursuing a graduate degree and will be a big help as I continue my football coaching career on the college level."

Since 1997 the Dr. Prentice Gautt Scholarship program has funded nearly $700,000 to Big 12 student-athletes for their postgraduate studies.