Morris K. Udall Scholarship

The Morris K. Udall scholarships are awarded to honor the career of Congressman Morris Udall who made major contributions to the preservation and protection of the environment and for the rights of Native Americans and Alaskan Natives. In keeping with this, the Udall Foundation, established by the U.S. Congress in 1992, welcomes applications from outstanding students who are either:

1. Those who are college sophomores or juniors in the current academic year, have outstanding potential, and who study the environment and related fields; or
2. Native American and Alaska Native students who are college sophomores or juniors in the current academic year, have outstanding potential, and are in fields related to health care or tribal public policy.

Students who study the environment often include those in the natural sciences, but may also include those in the social sciences or humanities. In fact, qualified students with environmental interests from any field are encouraged to apply.

The Foundation grants 75 scholarships annually; these scholarships provide $5,000 toward tuition or other related costs. Minimum qualifications include a 3.0 grade point average and status as a U.S. citizen, permanent resident alien, or, for nominees from American Samoa or the Commonwealth of the Mariana Islands, a U.S. national. The definition of Native American or Alaska Native is available from the Udall Faculty Representative on campus; it is broad, but documentation must be provided.

Nomination materials include:

1. An Institution Nomination Form available from the Udall Faculty Representative or from the web; it must be signed by the faculty representative;
2. Nominee Information Form;
3. An essay citing a significant speech, legislative act, or public policy statement by Congressman Udall and its relationship to the nominee's interests or career goals;
4. Three letters of recommendation, two of which must come from faculty members, possibly including the Udall Faculty Representative; and
5. Complete official transcripts.

The Udall Faculty Representative at the University of San Diego is Dr. Hugh I. Ellis. Dr. Ellis can provide interested students and faculty with more information. He may be reached by e-mail at ellis@sandiego.edu. The Udall Foundation for Scholarship and Excellence in National Environmental Policy has a web site at www.udall.gov where more information and forms are also available.

The deadline for getting materials to Dr. Ellis is typically early February.
The deadline for materials arriving at the Udall Foundation is February 15, 2002.
Awards will be announced by the Morris K. Udall Foundation in April, 2002.