Lisa Rivard, an Honors student at UGA, has been named a 2006 Morris K. Udall Scholar. Rivard, a junior environmental health science major from Lake Elmo, Minn., is the only recipient from a Georgia institution.
The scholarship, managed by the Morris K. Udall Foundation, was created by the U.S. Congress in 1992 as a tribute to Udall for his 30-year career in the House of Representatives. The $5,000 awards are presented annually to sophomores and juniors nationwide for their leadership, character and outstanding potential as future leaders in natural resource protection, conservation or Native American policy, health or governance. This year’s 80 recipients were selected from a group of 445 applicants.
“I’m delighted by Lisa’s selection as a Udall Scholar. She is an extraordinary person,” says David Williams, director of UGA’s Honors Program. “Her success speaks to the rigor of our curriculum and the quality of our faculty mentoring, so I’m most pleased to congratulate both Lisa and Ron Carroll, the UGA faculty adviser for the Udall Award.”
Rivard is the second UGA student to receive this scholarship in recent years. Kacie Moreno-Schoen, a 2005 graduate and UGA Foundation Fellow, received the award in 2003.
Rivard’s commitment to the environment can be seen through her research experiences at UGA. She is currently working with other students in the College of Public Health on a field study to determine if the persistence of second-hand smoke in downtown Athens can be considered a health risk over time.
Jessica Hoehn, a third-year Honors student from Duluth, is one of 50 students to receive a $350 honorable mention recognition from the Udall Foundation. The graphic design major works in the aquatics lab of Amy Rosemond, assisting with research on the socioeconomic and ecological aspects of land-use change.
“UGA had outstanding candidates for the Udall Award,” says Ron Carroll, also a professor of ecology. “Lisa Rivard, winner of the award this year, unites human and environmental health in her work. Jessica Hoehn, an honorable mention for the award, has been tireless in her efforts to promote the use of biodiesel on campus. Kudos to them both.”
