DJAMILA NOELLE GROSSMAN/Arizona Daily Wildcat Senior Keren Raz and junior Ryan Johnson both won a spot on the USA Today All USA College Academic Team for their work in South America.

Two UA students were officially recognized in today's USA Today as members of the All-USA College Academic Team. The award is given to 60 students nationwide who are divided into first-, second- and third-place teams.

Keren Raz, a senior majoring in English and political science, was selected for the second team and Ryan Johnson, an economics and international studies junior, was selected for the third. Both are Arizona Daily Wildcat employees.

The two made it past a pool of more than 600 nominations from colleges across the country for their academic achievements and activities outside the classroom.

Tracey Wong Briggs, coordinator of the award, said the recognition, which is given annually, has "certainly opened doors for some students."

Raz, a Wildcat columnist and former news editor, received the award for outstanding improvements in education for children and was nominated by James Todd, a professor of political science.

In summer 2002, Raz went to Peru to volunteer at a school for handicapped and deaf children. She was shocked by the lack of resources at the school and started to put her energy into building up a new information system.

With a grant from the Foundation for Sustainable Development, with which she traveled, Raz said she could afford to fund Internet access and two libraries at the school. This was a significant improvement for the children's education, she said.

In addition to her volunteer work in Peru, Raz co-founded a program for students at Cholla High Magnet School, 2001 W. Starr Pass Blvd., a local school of mostly disadvantaged students, to help students apply for college scholarships.

Raz said the UA contributed to her achievements with support and advice.

"The U of A has given me freedom and opportunity to explore my interests and really dive into what I love doing," Raz said.

Johnson, opinions editor of the Wildcat, was nominated for the award by his mentor, economics professor David Reiley, for a research project undertaken for the United Nations while abroad in Santiago, Chile, in 2004.

He compared the effects of two different ways of paying public bus drivers. Some drivers are paid a fixed wage, like they would be in the United States, while others are paid for every passenger transported. He found that bus drivers who were paid per passenger were involved in two-thirds more accidents than those who were paid salary.

After giving a presentation on the findings, the Chilean press ran a series of articles on the project, which sparked local debate. Santiago officials recently decided to end per passenger compensation, which should theoretically save 55 lives per year, Johnson said.

"It was an ideal opportunity really. (It was) fulfilling both personally and academically. The best part is that it actually had an impact on the city," he said.

Johnson credits Reiley for spending countless hours advising the project. The two are continuing to analyze the results and plan on submitting it to an economics journal this semester.

"It's so great to find a professor who enjoys working with students," Johnson said. "Professor Reiley was such a big help and motivation."