Topic: National Distinction
Poetry professor wins NEA grant for creative writing
Mary Szybist, assistant professor of English, received a prestigious National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Literature Fellowship in creative writing this month. The highly competitive fellowships of $25,000 each are given to published creative writers of exceptional talent, encouraging the production of new work and allowing writers the time and means to write. One of the foremost awards in the literary field, the NEA grant will support Szybist’s work on her second book of poems, tentatively titled Incarnadine.
“A grant like this is a boost of adrenaline to the writing process,” said Szybist. “As I’ve worked on my current manuscript for the last few years, I have cycled through periods of faith and doubt, both about the poems and the project as a whole. To have the NEA select my work for this distinction is a great gift of validation, and I am eager to return to my manuscript with a renewed sense of vigor and excitement.”
Szybist’s poetry has appeared in Virginia Quarterly Review, The Iowa Review, The Kenyon Review, Poetry, Tin House, and Best American Poetry 2008. Her first book, Granted, was named one of the top ten books of poetry in 2003 by Library Journal. Also that year, Szybist was a finalist for the National Book Circle Critic’s Award in Poetry.
Video: Alum vies for national animation prize; voting closes Tuesday, Oct. 28
Adan Vielma CAS ’08 is a finalist in a national animation competition, and viewers can vote for his film from 8:00 p.m. Monday, October 27 through 8:00 p.m. Tuesday, October 28.
Vielma’s short, “Go Nuts Animation,” was named one of 29 finalists in the Nicktoons Network Animation Festival, which features the best animated shorts films from around the globe.
Each day in October, the Nicktoons website features a different short for which visitors can vote. At the end of the month, the video with the most votes will win the Viewer’s Choice Award. To vote for Vielma’s video, visit the Nicktoons website by Tuesday, October 28.
Vielma, who won a different national video competition last year, put more than 30 hours of work into the two-minute submission. “Go Nuts Animation” takes a fun look at college life, following a student who spends a fortune decking out his dorm room.
“What differentiates my work, and what probably made it stand out to the contest judges, has to be its complexity,” Vielma said. “Each minute of my animation is filled with ten minutes of entertainment; one view is just not enough. I added so many details and filled even the smallest of corners. It has to be that attention to detail and sense of humor that the judges appreciated.”
Currently in its fifth year, the Nicktoons Network Animation Festival is the largest event of its kind in North America. The Festival gives finalists like Vielma exciting opportunities to present their work on a national stage, giving animators access to television and Internet audiences and offering cash and prizes for winners.
“Having just graduated from Lewis & Clark, I’m finding so many directions to take my education,” Vielma said. “Animation and video work are two directions I’m pursuing right now, and they’ve brought me personal enjoyment and public recognition. I’m really happy with what I’ve been doing, but I’m always looking forward to new challenges and projects.”
Six undergraduates receive Fulbright Awards
A record six seniors received Fulbright Awards this spring.
Recipients include Ian Hooper (teaching award, Germany), Katie Loebner (teaching award, Indonesia), Matthew Nelson (teaching award, Russia), Brandon Nichter (research award, Chile), Kate Phillips (teaching award, Thailand), and Katherine Spingarn (teaching award, Germany).
To learn more, explore this interactive map and read about the Fulbright recipients in the online newsroom.
Three students named Goldwater scholars
Lewis & Clark juniors Allison Akagi, Claire Fassio, and Conor Jacobs were awarded Barry M. Goldwater scholarships. The Goldwater program supports study in the fields of mathematics, engineering, and the natural sciences. Learn more here.
Junior earns Truman Scholarship for public service
Ben Brysacz, a junior political science major, has earned the nation’s top prize for undergraduate leadership. Brysacz received one of 65 Truman scholarships awarded this year, an honor which brings up to $30,000 for graduate study, leadership training, and fellowship with other students who are committed to making a difference through public service. Listen to a podcast about this award.
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Lewis & Clark faculty, students, and staff excel in their professional and academic fields and actively contribute to local and global communities. Here, we share up-to-the minute news briefs of their successes, which are often recognized through awards, honors, grants, and scholarships.
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