FOARE Scholarships Awarded to Urban Planners, More Available

The Foundation for Outdoor Advertising Research and Education (FOARE) has awarded scholarships to three graduate students with a future in community planning. The Reagan Family Scholarship Endowment, awarded to graduate students studying city or urban planning or a similar discipline, is intended to help groom a new generation of leaders and managers in the standardized OOH advertising industry.

The recipients of the 2018-2019 Reagan Family scholarships:

Amanda Dillon is seeking a Master of City and Metropolitan Planning (MCMP) at the University of Utah.  Dillon’s primary interest is assessing how OOH advertising can contribute to a more vibrant community and help stimulate and grow local economies.  Dillon also stressed the importance of ensuring that regulations do not threaten First Amendment rights in advertising.

“Regulations about size, locations, lights, and traffic all affect how and where outdoor advertising can do business,” she said, “and, as someone going into planning who has lived in places with an abundance of outdoor advertising, I am eager to find ways to make this medium additive to people’s perceptions of place and leverage my expertise as a visual artist to do so in a compelling and contemporary way.

“Good urban design can often be at the heart of why a place feels inviting and what makes people spend more time there.  I’d like to spend my career creating these spaces.”

Dillion received a $1,000 scholarship.

Nicole McGrath is studying for a Master’s in Science in Community and Regional Planning (MSCRP) at the University of Texas at Austin. McGrath is interested in studying how OOH advertising can help to create more attractive streetscapes that encourage more active transportation modes, including bicycling, walking, and public transit use. Her goal is to encourage people to “discover their surroundings” and foster a stronger sense of community. She believes OOH advertising is central to this.

“Outdoor advertising uses new and creative methods to reach a larger audience,” she said, “connecting them through the power of a compelling message. It surprises, it delights, and it transforms the consumer into an integral part of the advertisement. If they were not in that place in that moment, they might have missed it.  By allowing the consumer to discover the message through the actions of their everyday life, they become part of a larger consumer community.

“The ideals in outdoor advertising are similar to those of my work in community and regional planning.”

McGrath received a $2,000 scholarship.

Mitchell Vance is seeking a Master of City and Metropolitan Planning (MCMP) at the University of Utah. He also is seeking a Master of Real Estate Development. Vance’s graduate research has focused primarily on investigating the effect of government regulation and review processes on economic development. This research has included an examination of billboard regulations. As an undergraduate, he was the project leader for a sign ordinance study that examined municipal codes for signage throughout the state of Utah and in other major cities across the US. He now also works as a planner for the local government in Sandy City, UT.

“I would be bold enough to say that city planning programs across the country emphasize the importance of restricting signs for the betterment of the urban environment,” he said. “I believe that my exposure to both sides of the aisle through my pursuit of dual master’s degrees in Planning and Real Estate Development has given me a somewhat unique perspective to see the flaw in such a curriculum.

“Regulations do not make cities and places great; investment does. In order for cities and communities to thrive, the ability to effectively and fairly advertise business activities needs to be protected.”

Vance aspires to become a zoning administrator, the planning director, or the director of a community development agency.

Vance received a $1,000 scholarship.

The Reagan Family, which established the Reagan Foundation, are the founders and operators of the Reagan Companies, an OOH advertising company that operates in Salt Lake City, Austin, and Las Vegas. The scholarship was established to recognize the contributions of The Reagan Foundation to the OOH advertising industry.

More Scholarships Available

FOARE will award 10 more scholarships this year to undergraduate and graduate students. The Scholarship Program supports the education and career goals of those who are part of the OOH advertising industry family along with other students pursuing a course of study related to the industry.

The deadline to submit applications is June 12, 2018.

The following scholarships are available:

  • The Allman Family Business Development, Marketing and Sales Scholarship Endowment ($5,000)
  • The Ruth Segal Scholarship ($4,500)
  • The Vern and Elaine Clark Outdoor Advertising Industry “Champion” Scholarship Endowment ($4,000)
  • A Creative Arts/Design Scholarship ($3,000)
  • Six general student scholarships ($3,000 each)

The FOARE Scholarship Program is an important way for the industry to support families associated with OOH advertising, including industry employees and those students who may be interested in helping to shape the future of the industry. Although the scholarship program is open to all students, applicants with connections to the OOH advertising industry may be given preference in the evaluation process. Applicants should be very specific in detailing their connection and/or interest in the OOH advertising industry or relevant industry issues.

Learn more about available scholarships here.

 

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