University of Oklahoma professor wins Emmys for project with students, donates them to OU

Mike Boettcher, a war correspondent and faculty member in the University of Oklahoma's Gaylord College of Journalism and Mass Communication, brought two of the awards to OU.

Boettcher won the awards for “American Valor: Home of the Brave,” a news package that focused on the war in Afghanistan. The package was a part of Afghan 101, a cooperative venture between the college and ABCNews.com.

In the project, Boettcher and his son, Carlos Boettcher, spent a year embedded with U.S. troops in Afghanistan, delivering lectures to the college's students via Skype.

This marks the first time a university professor also serving as a war correspondent has won an Emmy, OU officials said. At a Tuesday news conference, Boettcher announced he was donating the Emmy statues to the college.

“These aren't my awards,” he said. “I didn't win these on my own. I won them with the help of a lot of people.”

Praise for students

OU President David Boren recognized Boettcher as well as the students who had participated in the project. The project gave students valuable insight into the field in which they'll eventually be working, he said.

Journalism plays a key role in making society function, Boren said.

It informs citizens and gives them the tools they need to participate in government. Because that role is a critical one, he said, it's important that the next generation of journalists are prepared for the responsibility.