A master’s student from the Department of Interior Design, Amber Sargent, is the recipient of the 2011 Network of Executive Women in Hospitality (NEWH) Platinum Scholarship.

Sargent’s research explores the interior design of healthcare facilities. Her thesis focuses on the design of end-of-life care facilities. She explains, “My thesis is an exploration of the interactions that occur in end-of-life care facilities and how interior design can foster these interactions. It seeks to not only cater to the patient, but also to the families of patients within these environments. The design of this hypothetical interior challenges past methods while creating innovative solutions to provide comfort, closure, and solace.”

Regarding her career goals, Sargent states, “Almost poetically, life gives you what you need, not what you want, or at least not what you want at that moment.” Initially a Pre-Veterinary Medicine major, Sargent transferred to the Fine Arts program and later transitioned to Interior Design. “I sought to find an industry that merged my rational scientific side to my whimsical artistic side, and Interior Design is the perfect fit.”

Professor David Butler in the Department of Interior Design nominated Sargent for the NEWH Platinum Scholarship. The scholarship will enable Sargent to continue her passion and exploration of design.

The NEWH is a non-profit organization bringing professionals, students, and vendors together in all industries of hospitality. The organization seeks to promote education, scholarship, and networking for all hospitality disciplines. The NEWH Platinum Scholarship offers an award of $10,000 to students with a career objective in the hospitality industry.