Amy Kapitan, of Cambridge, 'paving the way' as one of Clark University's inaugural LEEP Project Pioneers

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Amy Kapitan is a LEEP Project Pioneer at Clark University.

WORCESTER, MA (11/29/2012)(readMedia)-- Amy C. Kapitan, of Cambridge, New York, 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.

Kapitan helped put the plans together for a Sustainability Hub for National Grid, a hub where customers can go to have questions answered about Smart Grid, smart meters, any related technologies and sustainable energy in Worcester.

A video of Kapitan talking about her project with Marcy Reed, president of National Grid in Massachusetts, is available at http://clarkvoices.clarku.edu/2012/11/05/nationalgrid/.

"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."

Reed spoke about how Amy helped her organization this past summer.

"Amy came on board and helped us with some stakeholder management, she helped create our Facebook and Twitter pages for our pilot, she helped us with our Green to Grow Summit council meetings, she basically put a lot of our communication materials into language that people her age can resonate with and can understand," said Reed. "She brought that perspective from the younger generation, and for us it was great to have her here."

Kapitan is a member of the Class of 2013 at Clark; she majors in environmental science and policy. On campus, Kapitan is involved with the knitting club and OPEN (Clark's Gay Lesbian Bisexual Transgender Alliance). She is a 2009 graduate of Cambridge Central High School.

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