Kathryn Van Winkle '07 Awarded Mitchell Scholarship

December 1st, 2010 Stacey Kutish

Kathryn Van Winkle '07 Awarded Mitchell Scholarship


by Stacey Kutish
12/1/10

Kathryn Van Winkle '07
Kathryn Van Winkle '07
photo by Carol Clayton
Kathryn Van Winkle '07 is the recipient of a Mitchell Scholarship for the 2011–2012 academic year, one of just 12 to receive the nationally competitive award. With the support of the Mitchell Scholars Program, which provides one year of postgraduate study in Ireland or Northern Ireland in any discipline, Van Winkle plans to study drama and theatre at the National University of Ireland, Galway.

Van Winkle graduated from Swarthmore with highest honors in theater and sociology/anthropology. While at Swarthmore she was awarded a Eugene M. Lang Summer Initiative Grant in the Humanities to support intensive Shakespearean training in preparation for her senior thesis. Following Swarthmore, she pursued a dramaturgy fellowship at Baltimore's Center Stage. While working at Center Stage, she also received a grant from the Literary Managers & Dramaturgs of the Americas to develop a collaborative script database and archive for theater professionals and scholars.

More recently, Van Winkle has served as an AmeriCorps volunteer in her hometown of Austin, Tex., working with communities of Spanish-speaking kindergarteners, at-risk teenagers, and low-income adults in a variety of capacities. As an actor, director, and dramaturg, she has collaborated on over 50 theatrical productions with innovative theater companies such as Austin's Rude Mechanicals and Poland's Stary Teatr. Van Winkle, along with other Swarthmore alumni, co-founded the Ad Hoc Theatre Company of Philadelphia, where she serves as artistic director.

Recipients of the Mitchell Scholarship are selected for their academic excellence, leadership, and a sustained commitment to service and community. The scholarship provides tuition, housing, a living expenses stipend, and an international travel stipend. Sponsored by the US-Ireland Alliance, the scholarship honors former U.S. Senator George Mitchell's contributions to the Northern Ireland peace process.