Michigan State University has nominated four promising undergraduate students for the nationally competitive Udall Scholarship.
The Udall Foundation awards scholarships to college sophomores and juniors for leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to American Indian nations or to the environment. Each year, the foundation awards up to $7,000 for educational expenses to 60 outstanding students in the United States.
MSU’s nominees include: Ashley Archer, an Honors College sophomore majoring in fisheries and wildlife in Lyman Briggs College; Eamon Devlin, an Honors College junior majoring in environmental studies and sustainability and fisheries and wildlife in the College of Agriculture and Natural Resources; Hannah MacDonald, an Honors College sophomore majoring in environmental geosciences in the College of Natural Science; and Alec Manaia, a junior majoring in sociology in the College of Social Science.
MSU has produced 11 Udall Scholars.
“Each of our Udall Scholarship nominees have a particular interest in protecting our natural resources and promoting sustainability,” said Cynthia Jackson-Elmoore, dean of the MSU Honors College. “Michigan State University is proud to have students who are committed to making such a positive impact on the world.”
The National and International Fellowships and Scholarships (NIFS) Office, administered by the Honors College, helps interested undergraduate and graduate students to pursue major national and international opportunities by providing information and direct support throughout the competitive application processes.
Archer is from Howell, Michigan and is a graduate of Brighton High School.
She has interned for the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Animal Plant Health Inspection Service in Wisconsin and is a member of the MSU Fisheries and Wildlife Club.
“My career goal is to research and implement effective natural resource management techniques, to ensure the longevity and sustainability for future generations of all people,” Archer said.
Devlin hails from Farmington Hills, Michigan and is a graduate of Harrison High School.
He is a mentor in the Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment (RISE), and has conducted vermicomposting research. Additionally, he’s participated in study abroad experiences in Antarctica and New Zealand, and study away experiences at Yellowstone National Park and in Washington, D.C.
“In our interconnected world, I aspire to make our world a more sustainable place by focusing on human systems and inspiring others to understand their impact to the environment within their daily lives,” Devlin said.
MacDonald is from Alpena, Michigan and is a graduate of Alpena High School.
Also a member of the Residential Initiative on the Study of the Environment (RISE), MacDonald currently interns at the Aquatic Animal Health Laboratory and has conducted sea turtle research in the Bahamas. Back home, she is an education programmer for the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary and was named volunteer of the year in 2014. MacDonald is also the founder of Plastics F.L.O.A.T. (For The Love Of Alpena Today).
“I want to have a career in environmental education where I will be able to work out of an agency like National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and educate the public about research and environmental conservation,” MacDonald said.
Manaia is from Rochester, Michigan and is a graduate of Stoney Creek High School.
He’s a research assistant for the African Atlantic Research Team, a volunteer for the Lansing Refugee Development Center and director of media and design for Global Youth for Education and Change MSU. He’s previously served as a research intern for the MSU Department of Forestry and UrbandaleFarm in Lansing.
“Throughout the course of my life and career, I want to contribute to the building of an inclusive, equitable, and sustainable world based on an ethic of common humanity and environmental responsibility,” Manaia said.