CONWAY, Ark. (April 2, 2012) - Hendrix College junior Emily Deitchler was one of 80 students across the country selected as a 2012 Udall Scholar by the Udall Foundation.
The competitive scholarship is awarded to students "who have demonstrated commitment to careers related to the environment including policy, engineering, science, education, urban planning and renewal, business, health, justice, economics, and other related fields."
Deitchler is a junior environmental studies major from Eureka Springs, Ark.
"Emily Deitchler is an outstanding student and model citizen of the Hendrix College community," said Hendrix biology and environmental studies professor Dr. Joyce Hardin. "She is an active campus leader working with organizations such as the Environmental Concerns Committee, Campus Sustainability Committee, and the Urban Farming Project."
"Her passion for environmental issues extends beyond her activities and scholarship at Hendrix," Hardin continued. "Last summer she helped to develop curriculum for schools participating in the Delta Garden Study, a project designed to prevent childhood obesity improve academic achievement in middle school children. This summer she will research salamander dispersal in headwater streams at the Hubbard Brook Experimental Forest in New Hampshire."
Elizabeth Elmore, a junior biology major from Leicester, N.C., received honorable mention.
“This recognition is a tribute both to the excellence of these students and to the quality of the Hendrix Environmental Studies Program,” said Dr. Robert L. Entzminger, Provost and Dean of the College.
The Udall Foundation is an independent federal agency that was established by Congress in 1992 to provide federally funded scholarships for college students intending to pursue careers related to the environment, as well as to American Indian students pursuing tribal public policy or health care careers. In 1998, the Foundation grew to include the U.S. Institute for Environmental Conflict Resolution, created by Congress as the federal government's only program focused entirely on resolving federal environmental disputes. The Foundation also operates the Parks in Focus program, connecting underserved youth to nature through photography.
Founded in 1876, Hendrix College is a national leader in engaged liberal arts and sciences education. Hendrix was named the country's #1 "Up and Coming" liberal arts college for the third consecutive year by U.S. News and World Report. Hendrix is featured in the 2011 edition of the Princeton Review as one of the country's best 376 colleges and is listed in the 2012 edition of the Fiske Guide to Colleges as one of 25 "Best Buy" private colleges included. Hendrix has been affiliated with the United Methodist Church since 1884. For more information, visit www.hendrix.edu.