PAMA and Shure Incorporated Announce Recipients of 2025 Mark Brunner Professional Audio Scholarship The Professional Audio Manufacturers Alliance (PAMA), in partnership with Shure Incorporated, announces the 2025 recipients of the fifth annual Mark Brunner Professional Audio Scholarship. Brunner was a long-time Shure executive and past president of PAMA who passed away in 2020. Each scholarship is offered annually to students worldwide who are pursuing an education in professional audio. This year's recipients are Jeremiah Grier of Temple University, Tamanpreet Kaur of American University, Andrew Padfield of Western Michigan University, and Paula Sedlacek of Penn State University. Grier, who is pursuing a bachelor's degree in audio and live entertainment at Temple University, remarks, "The Mark Brunner Scholarship means a lot to me, not only as financial support, but as recognition of my passion for audio and commitment to growing in this industry. This award will help me focus on my education at Temple while also giving me the opportunity to share my knowledge and experiences with others, especially those from underserved communities. Like Mark Brunner, I believe accessibility is essential to keeping this industry thriving, and I hope to carry that legacy forward in my own career. I aspire to build a media production agency in the future where I would provide equipment and education to creatives." Kaur, who is in a Master of Arts in audio technology program at American University in Washington, DC, sees the opportunities enhanced by the scholarship as tying in with her larger goals of social change and awareness. She remarks, "My vision is both to empower women in audio and technology, where female representation remains limited, and to challenge how creative education is often marginalized. Mark Brunner dedicated his life to uplifting professionals in audio, and I hope to carry forward that legacy by amplifying voices too often overlooked. I want to bring visibility to the creators who work behind the curtain so someone else on the front can shine loudly. I believe in the power of art, but also in the power of resources which, when directed thoughtfully, can transform lives. This scholarship represents my voice being heard, and through me, the voices of countless artists who never had the chance to dream big." Padfield is pursuing a bachelor's degree in multimedia arts technology at Western Michigan University. He notes, "Being named as a recipient of the PAMA Mark Brunner Scholarship means a lot to me. For one, I'm a huge Shure fan and I'm a drummer. Music has been my way of finding confidence and a place where I belong, especially after going through cancer as a kid. Mentors have made all the difference for me in learning how to play drums, showing me how to run sound, introducing me to other musicians, and encouraging me when things were tough. This scholarship will help me keep going with school and move toward my goal of working as an audio engineer. I want my career in audio engineering to be a catalyst for mentoring younger musicians, helping performers sound their best, and creating live experiences that bring people together. Audio has given me purpose and belonging, and I'm determined to pass that gift along." Sedlacek, who is pursuing a master of science in Acoustics at Penn State, remarks, "I am working on my thesis focusing on psychoacoustics, looking at how externalization can increase intelligibility of speech presented through headphones. The PAMA Mark Brunner Scholarship will support me in my current research, which will advance both my educational journey and professional aspirations post-graduation, where I hope to work as an engineer on audio related projects such as transducer design or audio signal processing. I am particularly excited about using the scholarship funds for textbooks, which will help me with homework assignments and also be a lifelong resource to have on the shelf of all my future offices." On behalf of PAMA, Yvonne Ho, president of the PAMA board of directors, states, "Now in its fifth year, this scholarship honors the legacy of Mark Brunner by providing assistance to a new generation of audio professionals. Mark had a passion for mentorship, and he would certainly be proud of what these individuals are accomplishing. We thank Shure for partnering with PAMA on this scholarship and for making it possible." "We are proud to support the PAMA Mark Brunner Scholarship, as it reflects our commitment to fostering the next generation of talent in our industry and honoring the legacy of excellence that Mark championed," says Chris Schyvinck, president and CEO of Shure. For more information, www.pamalliance.org/scholarship. 
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