Kristen Hayden becomes U-M's 5th Udall Scholar
Kristen Hayden, a rising senior in Honors Earth and Environmental Sciences, has become U-M's 5th recipient of the Udall Scholarship. The Udall Scholarship provides $7000 and excellent mentoring/networking opportunities to sophomores and juniors who plan to pursue careers related to sustainability and the environment, or to Native American students who plan to pursue tribal policy or healthcare. Selection criteria for the Udall heavily emphasize leadership and commitment to public service in areas related to the applicant's proposed career track. Kristen has been heavily involved in local sustainability projects since she was a student at Huron High School in Ann Arbor. She has conducted research on bacterial genomics (through UROP) and more recently on farm runoff and Lake Erie algae blooms with Dr. Jennifer Blesh. The latter project is a model for the synthesis of environmental science and public outreach that she hopes to conduct in her future career. Kristen attended U-M's Camp Davis in Wyoming, is involved in a number of campus organizations include the Graham Sustainability Scholars, is a peer advisor for the Sustainable Living Experience, and helped with Prof. Joe Trumpey's straw bale construction project at the Matthei Botanical Gardens. Kristen plans to pursue a graduate degree in environmental science and policy and pursue a career as a city or statewide sustainability manager.