EXPERIENTIAL LEARNING
ART FRIEDEL AWARD
THE ART FRIEDEL AWARD
About the Award
The Art Friedel Honors Experiential Learning Award helps Honors students take on hands-on learning they might not otherwise be able to afford — internships, research, service-learning, or study away and abroad, especially opportunities outside Fort Wayne where travel and program costs can get in the way.
The award is named for Arthur ("Art") W. Friedel, Professor Emeritus of Chemistry, who spent more than 50 years at Purdue Fort Wayne teaching, mentoring students, and supporting athletics. It's a fitting namesake: the award exists for the same reason he was known on campus — to help students get experience beyond the classroom.
Please read the call for applications below and email Farah Combs at [email protected] with any questions.
THE ART FRIEDEL AWARD
Quick Facts
- What it funds: Hands-on, experiential learning opportunities beyond the classroom
- Award amount: Up to $6,000 per year
- Who's eligible: Honors Program sophomores and juniors
- Year one: 15 students applied for the inaugural award
2025 - 2026 recipients
Meet the Inaugural Recipients
In its first year, the Art Friedel Honors Experiential Learning Award went to two students whose projects took them well outside a typical classroom.
Bethany Cisz is using her award to lead a native plant species restoration project on campus. The work combines ecological restoration with community education, aiming to improve biodiversity at PFW while giving something back to the wider Allen County community — the kind of project that blends fieldwork, research, and public outreach in equal parts.
Breehonie Felger is using her award to study Croatian language and culture at the University of Split. Her academic focus is on identity and political change in the Western Balkans, building on a strong record of scholarship and leadership at PFW. The award is helping cover the cost of an immersion abroad that ties directly into her research interests.
2026 - 2027 Applications
Apply for 2026 - 2027
Applications for the next round of the Art Friedel Honors Experiential Learning Award are now open. Honors Program sophomores and juniors can apply for up to $6,000 to support an internship, research project, service-learning placement, or study away/abroad program — particularly experiences outside the Fort Wayne area.
Deadline: [Date]
Questions? Email Farah Combs, Director of Honors and Experiential Learning, at [email protected] or call 260-481-0247.