Hyundai Motor America President Finbarr O'Neill Receives University of Maryland Public Service Award

      Outstanding Public Service Award for Safe Schools and Communities
                               Given to O'Neill

    COLLEGE PARK, Md., Feb. 15 Hyundai Motor America President
Finbarr O'Neill today was awarded the College of Education's Outstanding
Public Service Award for Safe Schools and Communities.  The award was
presented by Vice President for Research and Dean of Graduate Studies
University of Maryland, Dr. William Destler.
    "Hyundai is pleased to support the college's efforts to assure the right
of all students to be able to learn in a safe and supportive environment.  On
behalf of all of Hyundai Motor America's employees and our 525 dealers, I'm
proud and pleased to accept this award," said O'Neill.
    O'Neill and Hyundai were honored for their ongoing support of programs
designed to prevent violence in schools.  The award was given as part of the
major two-day regional conference sponsored by the National Center on
Education, Disability, and Juvenile Justice (EDJJ) at the College of Education
at the University of Maryland.  The conference was titled, "Preventing School
Violence and Delinquency:  Research to Practice."
    The conference featured over 40 workshops on promising practices which
have already shown strong results in preventing violence in schools and
community based-centers, as well as city wide programs that link efforts of
school, mental health and juvenile justice agencies.  The conference was
sponsored by the EDJJ, the University of Maryland College of Education and the
U.S. Office of Special Education Programs.
    As part of its ongoing commitment to education, Hyundai Motor America has
provided financial support for a number of school anti-violence programs in
recent years.