Alex Kump, of Belchertown, 'paving the way' as one of Clark University's inaugural LEEP Project Pioneers

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Alexander Kump, of Belchertown, is a LEEP Project Pioneer at Clark University.

WORCESTER, MA (11/29/2012)(readMedia)-- Alexander (Alex) Kump, of Belchertown, Mass., is one of 46 Clark University students selected to serve as a LEEP Project Pioneer - the first class of students conducting projects under LEEP (Liberal Education and Effective Practice), Clark's model of education that combines a robust liberal arts curriculum with life-changing world and workplace experiences.

The LEEP Pioneers have been working closely with faculty mentors as well as Clark alumni and organizational partners on projects of shared interest or leading-edge research and analysis. The projects, some of which started this summer, and others which will commence during the 2012-2013 academic year, allow the students to creatively address actual problems and apply their knowledge in authentic workplace settings before they graduate. The LEEP Projects span the full breadth of academic studies, from arts/humanities to natural and social sciences.

Kump worked in the Comedy Development Department at CBS in Los Angeles this summer. His responsibilities included general clerical work, reading and analyzing scripts, and learning how to write coverage for scripts. Kump had the opportunity to sit in on pitches, tour studio lots, and to see run-throughs of shows in development. Clark alumna Wendi Trilling, executive vice president of Comedy Development at CBS, arranged for the opportunity.

"It was pretty much like an eight-week crash course in what it's like to be an assistant in Hollywood," he said.

Kump is a member of the class of 2013 at Clark University and is majoring in theater arts with a minor in screen studies. He is on the E-Board of the Clark University Players Society. In 2011, he earned second place in the Loring Holmes and Ruth Dodd Drama Contest, a writing contest sponsored by Clark's English Department; this year he took first place.

According to Kump, "Clark has given me the knowledge and confidence to create and defend my artistic theses. My LEEP Project helped me experience a different industry than my own, and will help me make informed decisions about my future career."

A video of Kump talking with Gino DiIorio, professor of theater who also serves as the student's advisor, is available at http://clarkvoices.clarku.edu/2012/11/05/cbs/.

Kump is a 2009 graduate of Pioneer Valley Performing Arts Public Charter School in South Hadley, Mass.

"Clark's LEEP Project Pioneers initiative is the inaugural run for an exciting new feature of our undergraduate curriculum. LEEP Projects provide opportunities for students to blend academic learning with professional development," said Colin Polsky, associate dean for undergraduate research and active pedagogy and associate professor of geography. "LEEP Projects not only allow Clark students to dive deep into a topic about which they are passionate, but also require students to learn how to communicate about the topic to multiple and diverse audiences."

Founded in 1887 in Worcester, Massachusetts, Clark University is a small, liberal arts-based research university addressing social and human imperatives on a global scale. Clark's faculty and students work across boundaries to develop solutions to contemporary challenges in the areas of psychology, geography, management, urban education, Holocaust and genocide studies, environmental studies, and international development and social change. The Clark educational experience embodies the University's motto: Challenge convention. Change our world. www.clarku.edu