Candace Braun, editor-in-chief for The Oracle

While many college -- and professional -- journalists lament the changes that are happening to the industry and worry about declining readership, Kevin is among the few who not only recognize that the face of journalism is changing, but is actively seeking ways to adapt with it. His talents are multifaceted, and he makes transitioning from print to broadcast reporting seem effortless.

Over the past year Kevin launched our multimedia section, which includes three original Web videos to accompany our print stories each week, a daily podcast and online polls to give the student body a better opportunity to voice its opinion. This has really taken our Web site, and the quality of the content we deliver to students, to the next level, and he is completely to thank for that.

Kevin does not shy away from investigative or hard-hitting pieces. Though he earned the title of Best Sports Columnist in the Southeast United States for voicing his (well-researched) opinion, his true area of expertise comes in his ability to thoroughly and relentlessly report pressing issues. This spring, for example, Tampa Bay has seen a rash of high school and middle school teachers who have had inappropriate relationships with their students, and so Kevin sought to find out how USF, which had graduated a number of the teachers in question, was handling this situation. Though nobody at the university or within the College of Education wanted to talk to him, he persisted until he managed to get a story that none of the professional-level newspapers in the state had explored yet. Talk about a great scoop.

Victoria Bekiempis, managing editor for The Oracle

Kevin's coverage of USF Bulls football coach Jim Leavitt's decision to paint himself green and gold for a basketball game -- which was newsworthy in the man-bites-dog sense, considering Leavitt's typically serious demeanor -- embodies this richness. In an exclusive interview with Leavitt, the coach praised Bulls fans as a source of morale for the team, saying he'd like to paint himself green and gold and participate in the fervor. A USF graduate and Bulls fanatic who sent the team inspirational letters while battling leukemia during the 2007 football season later decided to take Leavitt up on his statement, and the coach agreed.

The follow-up Kevin wrote scooped other local media outlets while providing the depth and context that a video alone could not. It also showed how Kevin -- who worked tirelessly to build and maintain sources like Leavitt, other coaches and athletes -- could cover college sports and general news better than the seasoned professionals because he had the multimedia skills to follow up on stories and tips as to convey them with impact.

His work reflects where journalism is going in the 21st century, and where print and broadcast media can converge to provide better, more comprehensive coverage of issues.

Source | The Oracle
There's still a month remaining in the semester, but Paulette Walker already knows what she'll be talking about next fall when she addresses hundreds of students in the College of Education.

Source | The Oracle
For more than a decade, Edward Lutz's everyday tasks consisted of stopping attempted suicides, rescuing trapped accident victims and taking control of barricaded perpetrators.

Source | The Oracle
Whether he's sprinting out of the tunnel before a game or throwing a tirade on the sideline, it's hard to miss USF football coach Jim Leavitt on the field.

Source | The Oracle
I guess Alabama coach Nick Saban isn't the only one taking shots at USF. And he's not the only one making unwarranted and incorrect statements about the University and the football team.

Source | The Oracle
It didn't matter if they knew him from high school. It didn't matter if they were his coaches, fellow students or teammates. They all had a similar message about Keeley Dorsey: He had a plan, and he was living his dream.

Source | The Oracle
Kevin Smetana and Jason Richards created this video.

Source | The Oracle
Kevin Smetana created this video.