First group of grant recipients for the new Quality Enhancement Plan announced

Southern Methodist University announces the first group of grant recipients for the new Quality Enhancement Plan.

Called Unbridled Learning: Engaged Beyond the Classroom, this program was created by a committee of faculty, students and staff charged with conceiving a program that would further SMU’s academic growth.

Four students were selected from 18 applicants to receive the initial grants of $2,000 each. The committee chose one grant winner from each of the four communities that QEP research will be conducted in:

Arts: Junior business marketing, photography and art history major Colby Kruger wishes to empower young women to define “beauty” in their own way by teaching them photographic skills and developing a creative perspective.

Research: Junior statistical science and mathematics major Michael McCarthy will build an information database needed to improve home care services for veterans with spinal cord injuries.

Profession: Freshman political science and business management major Jaywin Singh Malhi will serve as a congressional intern at the capitol during the summer of 2011 and gain a deeper understanding of the American political system.

Community: Junior dance performance major Lindsay Abigail Sockwell will serve as a 2011 intern for Family Legacy Missions International, introducing music and dance to orphaned children in Zambia.

"SMU is proud to support these outstanding students as they add a critical dimension to the SMU experience," said Paul W. Ludden, SMU Provost and Vice President for Academic Affairs. "The program provides opportunities for undergraduate students to explore beyond the classroom."

After concluding their work, the winning students will document their experience in papers to be published in a new online journal.

Visit smu.edu/unbridledlearning to learn more about the program.

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