UGA added two new Udall Scholars to its ranks this year as third-year students Shreya Ganeshan and Elizabeth Wilkes were honored for their leadership, public service and commitment to issues related to the environment.
Each year, the Udall Foundation awards about 60 scholarships to college sophomores and juniors for their efforts related to Native American nations or their work in environmental advocacy and policy.
Ganeshan, from Johns Creek, is majoring in economics and statistics and plans to pursue a doctorate in clean energy innovation and deployment. Wilkes, from Atlanta, is majoring in geography and ecology and plans to pursue a master’s degree in either food policy or agricultural and environmental studies. Both are Honors students and Foundation Fellows.
“The University of Georgia congratulates our students for this significant accomplishment,” said President Jere W. Morehead. “The experiences they have gained through research and internships have prepared them, like other UGA students before them, to compete at the highest levels.”
With the addition of Ganeshan and Wilkes, UGA has had 11 Udall Scholars in the past seven years.
After graduating from UGA, Ganeshan plans to study how weather-related disasters strain local and national infrastructure and plans to develop financial models for clean energy.
Along with her major in human geography, Wilkes will be among the first UGA students to graduate with a Bachelor of Arts in ecology. She plans to pursue a career as an advocate for food justice and hopes to transform food systems to promote environmental and social justice.
