The NABE Foundation, the charitable arm of the National Association for Business Economics (NABE), and Americans for the Arts, the nation’s leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education, jointly announced that Paul Vancea has won the 2013 NABE Foundation Americans for the Arts Scholarship Award. Vancea will receive the scholarship on Monday, March 4, during a luncheon at the 2013 NABE Economic Policy Conference in Washington, D.C.

Vancea will receive a scholarship in the amount of $5,000 to support the study and application of economics in his undergraduate studies and professional career. He is currently a junior at Brandeis University, majoring in Economics, Business and Film. Upon graduation, he hopes to find a way to combine Economics and Finance with Film, whether this means making videos promoting certain policies or socially conscious businesses, short economics educational tutorials or a meaningful feature film depicting and encouraging new, more socially responsible business models.

In 2007, Vancea moved from Romania with his family and settled in San Diego. While in high school, he became involved with the San Diego Youth Council, learning about advocating for youth rights and issues. He still works with the group as a Youth Media Consultant. This experience has carried over into his film work including a documentary about Eli J. Segal, whose passion for citizen engagement led to the creation of The Eli J. Segal Citizen Leadership Program. In fact, he was one of the 2012 Fellows in the program. Vanca has also produced and directed videos for various departments at Brandeis for in-house use—a fitness video to motivate his fellow students to maintain an active lifestyle and a pilot video for a YouTube series.

"Awarding the NABE-AFTA scholarship has not only proven an important investment in maintaining the out-of-the box creative thinking we need at a critical time in our economic history, but it has brought people into higher levels of education who might not have had access otherwise. Our applicants must not only demonstrate excellence but need as well, something that provides returns not only to the NABE Foundation, but society asa whole," said Diane Swonk, chief economist at Mesirow Financial and a NABE Foundation Board member. "This is one of a myriad of ways that the NABE Foundation is both enhancing the credibility and quality of economic analysis. It's about investing in human capital, plain and simple."

“The reality of life in the 21st century is that the skills associated with artistic practices—creative thinking, self-discipline, collaboration and innovation—are vital to succeeding in a rapidly changing global economy,” said Robert L. Lynch, president and CEO of Americans for the Arts. “It’s a pleasure to once again partner with the NABE Foundation to recognize student achievement in both the arts and economics. These awards reflect a fundamental belief that the arts are a key component in helping to prepare students to succeed, and indeed thrive, in the workplace and society of the future.”

The NABE Foundation Americans for the Arts Scholarship Award was established in 2008 to encourage the integration of the arts into the economic education process. Recipients of the scholarship must come from economically disadvantaged households and have attended public school. Successful candidates demonstrate long-term participation in the study of, creation in and/or performance in one or more art forms, including dance, music, theatre, literary, visual/media arts; excel academically; and have formally declared the intent to study economics for policy purposes, or in applications in the private and public sectors. The scholarship recipients are selected following a competitive review process which begins with a pre-screening of applicants by Americans for the Arts, followed by a review of finalists by a sub-committee, and ratification of recipients by the NABE Foundation Board.

The National Association for Business Economics is the largest international association of applied economists, strategists, academics, and policy-makers committed to the application of economics in decision-making in the world. The NABE Foundation is supported by NABE members to provide scholarships, education, and other efforts to build the economics profession.

Americans for the Arts is the leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts education in America. With offices in Washington, D.C. and New York City, it has a record of more than 50 years of service. Americans for the Arts is dedicated to representing and serving local communities and creating opportunities for every American to participate in and appreciate all forms of the arts. Additional information is available at www.AmericansForTheArts.org.

Contact:
Catherine Brandt Vacovsky
202-712-2054
[email protected]
@AFTAPress

Melissa Golding, National Association for Business Economics
[email protected]
571-236-2820