HWS News
31 May 2018 • Arts • STEM Defying the Laws of Physics and Dance
As Hobart College’s first dance major, Drew Scammell ’18 took to the Deming Theatre stage for the final performance of his college career in April. Scammell, who has choreographed his own work, will graduate with additional majors in math and physics.
“Triple-majoring has been a consequence of my hard work and I appreciate the support of the community that helped me accomplish it,” says Scammell, a member of Hobart’s Druid Society and a Physics Teaching Fellow. “HWS is truly a place that values individuality, and I appreciate having a community that has supported me in pursuing all of the things I care about.”
Scammell will continue his research on intellectual property in dance and its socioeconomic implications as a Stephen W. Woodworth ’54 Fellow at the Colleges’ Fisher Center this summer before exploring opportunities for graduate school.
Dancing since age 15, Scammell decided to attend Hobart and William Smith after visiting campus. “I saw HWS as a place that wanted to see students succeed and support them in doing that— a first impression that proved to be incredibly true,” says Scammell, who specializes in modern composition and received the Arts Scholarship in recognition of his work during his first year. “My journey here has been defined by becoming comfortable with what I want to do and what I enjoy rather than adopting someone else’s definition of success.”
During his time at the Colleges, Scammell has worked closely with a variety of faculty, including Professor of Dance Donna Davenport. “He’s the epitome of a liberal arts student, as embodied by his ability to think both creatively and scientifically,” says Davenport. “Scammell’s quick acceleration in his studies here is a tribute to his talent.”
In addition to his academic pursuits on campus, Scammell is a member of Koshare Dance Collective’s executive committee and the intramural volleyball team. He studied abroad in Maastricht, Netherlands, and represented the Colleges at the Northeast Conference of the American College Dance Association for three years in a row. Since the summer of 2016, Scammell has interned with the intellectual law firm Heslin Rothenberg Farley & Mesiti in Albany, N.Y., in addition to working for his family’s business in Vineyard Haven, Mass.