Margaret Chase Smith Public Affairs Scholarships Awarded

The Margaret Chase Smith Public Affairs Scholarships for 2014–2015 have been awarded to two University of Maine undergraduates pursuing independent research.

Joshua Paredes, a marketing major from Bangor, Maine, will study the effectiveness of public health marketing strategies for hazing prevention. He will work with the National Collaborative for Hazing Research and Prevention.

Jesse Clark, a political science major from Calais, Maine, will use computer modeling to explore the impact of gerrymandering for his project titled “Determining an Expected House Majority Using Pattern Analysis.” He will work with UMaine political science and spatial information science and engineering researchers.

The scholarships are awarded annually for independent undergraduate research on a topic of public policy relevance. Students in all majors are eligible. Sen. Margaret Chase Smith’s abiding belief was that real progress would be attained through the education of young people. In honor of Sen. Smith’s many years of service to the citizens of Maine and to the nation, this scholarship provides assistance to undergraduates who have demonstrated an active interest in public affairs and who show promise for future leadership in, and contribution to, public affairs.

More information is online.