Two Undergraduates Awarded Udall Scholarships

EVANSTON, Ill. --- Two Northwestern University students were awarded 2010 Udall Scholarships. The award is given to sophomores and juniors committed to careers related to the environment, tribal public policy or Native American health care.

The two students honored are Isabelle Ji, a junior working toward a combined bachelor's degree in environmental engineering and a master's in chemical engineering, and Emily Wright, a junior pursuing a major in anthropology and a minor in environmental policy and culture.

Ji, who is also working on the Kellogg School of Management's certificate for managerial analytics, is interested in a career in business strategies for sustainable development. On campus she leads education and outreach for Engineers for a Sustainable World. She has traveled to China to teach English and environmental classes.

Wright is the co-chair of Northwestern's Students for Ecological and Environmental Development and is co-leader of an initiative to establish a revolving loan fund for sustainability projects. She spent a semester studying in China and is now studying in Argentina.

Created in 1992 to honor former U.S. Rep. Morris Udall, the Udall Foundation awards scholarships to 80 undergraduate students. In 2009, U.S. Congress added Stewart Udall, also a former congressman and brother of Morris, to the foundation. Stewart and Morris Udall worked together on environmental and Native American initiatives in the 1960s while Stewart was Secretary of the Interior and Morris served in Congress.