Clark University senior Andrew Doig, of Natick, shares his role in popular WaterFire event

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Andrew Doig is a LEEP Project Pioneer at Clark University.

WORCESTER, MA (11/21/2013)(readMedia)-- Clark University senior Andrew Doig, of Natick, recently presented, "Exploring liberal arts through videography," at Fall Fest, a special event at which Clark where students showcase work they accomplished over the summer. Doig created a poster about his experience as a videography intern for WaterFire Providence, a permanent art exhibition in downtown Providence.

Doig's was one of 108 projects classified as a Liberal Education and Effective Practice (LEEP) Project. LEEP Projects allow students to creatively address problems and apply their knowledge in authentic workplace settings prior to graduation. They also enable students to work closely with faculty mentors and Clark alumni and business partners on projects of shared interest or leading-edge research and analysis. Clark alumnus Corinne Barber helped fund Doig's project.

Working with WaterFire's associate media producer, Doig was responsible for assisting with video production, post-production and marketing projects for the organization's 2013 season. He also helped bring Providence-based horror writer H.P. Lovecraft back to life by helping to create "augmented reality" segments for people who attended a convention that celebrated the author's legacy.

Doig was required to perform tasks large and small, such as managing sound and video engineering and rolling cables in all kinds of weather. He also kept a blog about his experience.

"I'm an English student, so in a way, it's kind of an experiment for me to try new things and wet my feet a little bit in a different industry," said Doig.

Tim Labonte, WaterFire's assistant director of media, served as Doig's on-site supervisor. He praised the student for his hard work and positive attitude.

Mike Sullivan, Doig's mentor who is director of Marketing Communications at Clark, commented on the student's willingness to learn.

"One of the great things about working with Andy is that he loves to listen, he's intrigued by the possibility of improving," Sullivan said. "I think the beauty with LEEP is that Andy gets to figure out how working on WaterFire and doing sound editing and videotaping and jumping from one event to the next –what is it like to experience that? And then how does that impact not only how you read things in English but how you write things?"

Doig was amazed at the opportunities his internship provided. His colleagues at WaterFire also helped him prepare a demo reel of his work for him to use while pursuing a career in the film industry. Doig has already filmed a pilot TV series using the skills he learned at WaterFire, and he's doing the sound work for two independent films.

Doig said his LEEP project "let [him] take the skills [he] picked up in school and put them into a real-world context."

"This is where my career is headed," he said.

To watch a video about Andy Doig's project, visit http://clarkvoices.clarku.edu/2013/10/17/leep-and-waterfire-providence/.

Doig is a member of the Class of 2014 at Clark. He is a 2009 graduate of Cambridge School of Weston.

For a glimpse at some of this year's other LEEP Projects, visit http://www.clarku.edu/leep/pioneers2013.cfm.

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. Nationally renowned as a college that changes lives, Clark is emerging as a transformative force in higher education today. LEEP (Liberal Education and Effective Practice) is Clark's pioneering model of education that combines a robust liberal arts curriculum with life-changing world and workplace experiences. Clark's faculty and students work across boundaries to develop solutions to complex challenges in the natural sciences, 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.