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Randolph College Junior Receives Second National Honor

LYNCHBURG – A Randolph College junior who last year received a competitive National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Ernest F. Hollings (Hollings) Scholarship and was selected to attend a competitive National Marine Fisheries Service Marine Resources Population Dynamics Workshop, has been awarded another honor.

Katelin Shugart-Schmidt `10, an environmental science major, has received Honorable Mention in the Morris K. Udall Foundation Scholarship program. This extremely competitive scholarship is given to college undergraduates who are working to preserve and protect their national heritage through studies of the environment.

Out of 515 applicants nationwide in 2009, the Morris K. Udall Foundation chose 50 scholarship winners and 80 honorable mentions. Honorable mention award winners receive a cash prize in addition to the recognition.

“This is a big honor, and I’m grateful to the faculty here at the college for making these opportunities possible,” said Shugart-Schmidt, who plans to pursue a graduate degree and would like to merge her passions for science, math and the environment. “Environmental issues are complex, and I hope to use these experiences to prepare me for the sustainable management of the Earth’s resources.”

Katelin Shugart-SchmidtShugart-Schmidt eventually wants to serve as a manager or scientist for the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration or move into the academic realm as a professor.

Established by the U.S. Congress in 1992, the Morris K. Udall Foundation (www.udall.gov) honors the 30-year legacy of public service of its namesake, a longtime U.S. representative from Arizona who died in 1998. The foundation “seeks future leaders across a wide spectrum of environmental fields, including policy, engineering, science, education, urban planning and renewal, business, health, justice, and economics. The Foundation also seeks future Native American and Alaska Native leaders in public and community health care, tribal government, and public policy affecting Native American communities, including land and resource management, economic development, and education.”

“The Udall scholarship acknowledges students who are outstanding academically as well as present and future leaders in the field of the environment.,” said Karin Warren, an environmental science professor. “It is very competitive. Students must be nominated by their institution, and then they compete with over 1000 others for the scholarship.”

Shugart-Schmidt received the equally competitive honor of being named a Hollings Scholar in 2008. The Hollings Scholarship Program provides successful undergraduate applicants with awards that include academic assistance (up to a maximum of $8,000 per year) for full-time study during the 9-month academic year; a 10-week, full-time internship position ($650/week) during the summer at a NOAA facility; and, if reappointed, academic assistance (up to a maximum of $8,000) for full-time study during a second 9-month academic year.

The internship between the first and second years of the award provides the Scholars with “hands-on” practical educational training experience in NOAA-related science, research, technology, policy, management, and education activities. Awards also include travel funds to attend a mandatory Hollings Scholarship Program orientation, conferences where students present a paper or poster, and a housing subsidy for scholars who do not reside at home during the summer internship.

Shugart-Smith scuba divingShugart-Schm

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