Congratulations to Cordelia Van der Veer, who has been selected as a Udall Scholar, and to Luke Hawes who was awarded a Udall Honorable Mention! Both Van der Veer and Hawes are rising seniors and honors students who were awarded Udall distinctions in the Environmental Category for their dedicated leadership, commitment to public service, and passion for environmental stewardship.
Students apply to the Udall Scholarship as sophomores and juniors seeking to pursue careers related to the environment, tribal public policy, or tribal health care. The fellowship provides $7,000 towards undergraduate expenses and participation in a five-day orientation in Tucson, AZ with environmental and tribal leaders.
Van der Veer is a Stamps Eminence Scholar majoring in Public Policy Analysis and Political Science with a minor in History. In her career she aims to research environmental governance and collaborate with government officials to create equitable environmental protection policies. Currently, Van der Veer researches environmental judicial politics at the Rea Environmental and Society Lab. Over the past two summers, Van der Veer worked at the Bipartisan Policy Center and participated in the Public Sector Data Science Internship Program. At Ohio State, she founded EcoSpace, a student group that partners with Columbus nonprofits to solve environmental problems and is an Environmental History Fellow for the Environmental History Initiative creating an environmental documentary film festival.
Van der Veer said, “Being awarded a Udall Scholarship empowers me to take risks and pursue a career in environmental social science research.”
This summer, she will get a chance to attend the Udall Scholar summit in Tucson. “I am excited to meet the other recipients of the scholarship and connect with the high-powered alumni network,” she said. “Given the lasting legacy of Morris and Stewart Udall, I am honored to continue their life's work of protecting the environment in my career.”
Hawes is majoring in Environmental Policy and Decision Making and is an International Affairs Scholar. In his career, he aims to work in city planning and transportation before becoming an environmental attorney who prosecutes corporations that exploit the environment. Currently, Hawes works as a Policy Intern at Go Sustainable Energy LLC. At Ohio State, he is a Sustainability Lead at Student Life’s Green Buckeyes Program. Previously, he served as a Legislative Intern at Columbus City Council where he engaged with environmental policy and worked as a Sustainability Intern at Smart Columbus.
Hawes said, “Being selected as an Honorable Mention is a fulfilling achievement for me as it recognizes my achievements and commitment toward solving environmental issues. Because the Udall Foundation was created through Congress, it is significant to be honored by an independent agency of the federal government.”
Both Hawes and Van der Veer took Ohio State’s course “The Politics of Climate: The United Nations Climate Summit” co-taught by Dr. Bart Elmore and Dr. Nicholas Breyfogle who are faculty in the History department. As part of the course, Hawes and Van der Veer traveled to the 28th Conference of the Parties—the UN Climate Summit in Dubai. There, they engaged with diplomats and environmental activists at an international level and had the chance to meet with Columbus Mayor Andrew Ginther. Witnessing the conference negotiations inspired both Hawes and Van der Veer to continue their environmental policy and climate action work.
After traveling to Dubai together, Van der Veer and Hawes also continued to support each other through the Udall application process. Undergraduate Fellowship Coordinator Louise Ling Edwards said, “I really enjoyed seeing how they encouraged each other and provided feedback on each other’s essays. It’s this spirit of collaboration that Udall looks for in their awardees.”
This year was Hawes’ second time being nominated by Ohio State’s Undergraduate Fellowship Office for the scholarship. He noted, “Through my two consecutive years applying for the Udall Scholarship, I have learned the importance of storytelling in an application. Creating a cohesive and honest application that accurately depicts one's values, achievements, and goals is critical for success. I will utilize this knowledge in future applications to work for other opportunities.”
Van der Veer also learned a lot while working on her Udall application. She said, “During the application process, I reflected on my career goals and most significant experiences in my college career. The Fellowship Office provided invaluable feedback that helped me think deeper about what I want to accomplish and how my work will impact the environment. Writing the Udall essays allowed me to connect my experiences in research, student activities, and internships into a cohesive narrative about my overall passion for environmental policy progress.”
Edwards concluded, “Both Cordelia and Luke are such accomplished environmentalists, and Udall’s recognition of their work is a testament to the ways they embody Udall’s values of integrity, civility, and consensus. I’m so excited to see the ways they will continue to work for the good of our ecosystems and the people who inhabit them.”