Lorian Knapp, a native of Ronkonkoma, NY, and sophomore psychology student at UT, was recently named by the faculty Honors Committee as the recipient of the Timothy M. Smith Inspiration Through Exploration Award.

The annual award includes a $2,000 scholarship that is to be used toward travel during the summer break.

A marine science minor, Knapp plans to use the award money to fund an internship with the Pacific Whale Foundation in Hervey Bay, Australia.

There, she will spend 11 days on the ocean assisting with research regarding the humpback whale population.

The award was established at UT in 2005 to honor the life of Timothy M. Smith, a Tulane University alumnus who passed away in 2003.

The purpose of the award is to provide the winning student the opportunity to travel and further their academic interests.

Upon returning to the United States, the student is required to write an essay detailing their experiences abroad.

Students who’d like more information on the Timothy M. Smith Award should visit http://www.inspirationthroughexploration.com.