Jeff Cooper

You might recognize Jeff Cooper as the always-cheerful Honors Advisor, but you might not know that he wears many hats inside and outside the Honors College. Honors @ OU met up with Jeff Cooper for a closer look at his work at the university and what he does in his free time. What many people might not know is that he is also an accomplished musician!

Tell me about yourself:

I was born and raised in Norman, so of course I am a big fan of all things Sooners. I'm married to a Norman girl, and we have oe daughter who is 12 and in the sixth grade. We also have a dog named Gary who's in charge of the house, we just do his bidding. 

Any hobbies? 

I play the electric bass; I was in a band, but Covid pretty much did us in so now we're trying to get it back together. The band's name is Locust Avenue, look us up on Spotify!

Did you go to school at OU?

I did. I have my bachelor's and master's degrees in Art History from OU, and after a few years of working in art museums I realized that it wasn't for me. I was lucky enough to get a job at University College as an advisor. This is my 16th year at OU. 

What is your job exactly, and what does it entail?

I am the cum laude Graduation Advisor and the Honor's Award Coordinator. I advise Honors students to make sure they are staying on track to graduate with Honors. and I meet with them from the time they get here until they graduate. I also coordinate several different programs dealing with undergraduate research, including Undergraduate Research Day which happens annually in April.

What do you believe the most important part of advising is?

The most important part to me is helping students understand what it takes to graduate with Honors and how it can benefit them. After that, it is important that we find the best way to incorporate those requirements into their degrees so that they don't have to take extra classes to graduate.

What advice do you have for a struggling student?

If a student is struggling, I always tell them not to be afraid to ask for help. Everyone needs help from time to time and we have a lot of different resources available for them (and not just academically!)

Any fun or wacky advising stories?

I advised a student during an earthquake! It sounded like someone was pushing a piano down the stairs on the floor above us and my office shook from side to side.