Three students' work honors Fred Rogers' spirit

Three $10,000 awards have gone to students for work on children's media projects in the spirit of Fred Rogers. The annual scholarships are presented by the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences Foundation and Ernst & Young. Alexis Lauricella of Georgetown University is at work on a project about the relationship between children's media use and learning. Mayuran Tiruchelvam of Columbia University is developing live-action short film and animated series. And Thy Than of the UCLA plans to create an animated short about a girl who emigrates with her family. The students also will each have TV academy mentors. They were honored at a recent ceremony attended by Rogers' widow, Joanne Rogers.