Audrey Seiz, of Portland, 'paving the way' as one of Clark University's inaugural LEEP Project Pioneers

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Audrey Seiz is a LEEP Project Pioneer at Clark University

WORCESTER, MA (01/07/2013)(readMedia)-- Audrey C. Seiz, of Portland, Maine, 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.

Seiz is studying a host-parasite relationship in the East Branch Swift River in Massachusetts; her findings are showing that the populations of trout seem to be too small to support such a large population of the mussels, begging the question – Are the mussels using an alternative host fish like the blacknose dace?

"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."

This spring, Seiz was one of only five students to be named a 2012 Marsh-Mosakowski NOAA Fellow. The fellowship program, which included a generous summer research stipend, was established this year by Clark's George Perkins Marsh Institute and the Mosakaowski Institute for Public Enterprise, in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Seiz is a member of the Class of 2013 at Clark; she majors in biology. She is the recipient of a Traina Scholarship and has been named to Clark's Dean's List for her academic performance. She is an educator through Choices, an on-campus peer sexual health resource that strives to provide the Clark community with education regarding informed choices about sex and healthy relationships. She is also a member of the Clark tennis club. When she first arrived at Clark, Seiz participated in the TREK Program, and traveled to New Orleans and built houses with members of Habitat for Humanity as well as Clark students and TREK leaders.

Seiz is the daughter of Mark Seiz and Sharon Ultsch. She is a 2009 graduate of Portland 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