UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — Penn State rising senior Olivia Krum has earned a Udall Scholarship, which rewards college sophomores and juniors for leadership, public service and commitment to Native American issues or the environment.
Those who earn a Udall Scholarship are provided with up to $7,000 for academic expenses. Scholars are also invited to spend five days in Tucson, Arizona, at Scholar Orientation and have access to the Udall Alumni Network.
“I am honored to be representing Penn State as a 2022 National Udall Scholar!” Krum said. “Becoming a part of this network of passionate and dedicated professionals and fellow students is so exciting, and I am eager to learn more about my role as a Udall Scholar.”
Krum, a Schreyer Scholar from Centre Hall, Pennsylvania, is part of many environmentally oriented projects in both her majors of landscape architecture and parks and tourism management. In summer 2021, she worked with the University, National Park Service and Leave No Trace Foundation as a research technician in Grand Teton and Yellowstone national parks, where she gathered visitor data on how to encourage safer and meaningful wildlife viewing experiences.
She is currently a research assistant for former Udall Scholar Morgan Krump and the National Park Service, conducting research on night sky pollution. Krum is also working with faculty in the Department of Landscape Architecture on a study that examines the ties among politics, design and environmental conservation.
“Specifically, my research focuses on equity in outdoor experiences, the Outdoors for All Act, and the question: How might we design universally accessible outdoor facilities that are manageable, adaptable and affordable?”
About the Udall Undergraduate Scholarship
The scholarship is open to those who are Native American or Alaska Natives working on tribal policy issues or pursuing health-related careers, and to any undergraduate interested in conservation and environmental issues. To be considered, applicants must be a sophomore or a junior in college and a U.S. citizen or U.S. permanent resident.
Those interested in competing for a Udall Scholarship next year should contact Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring (URFM) to learn more about the scholarship program, verify that they meet the eligibility criteria and begin the application process. A pre-application will be due toward the end of the fall semester, and an internal application due in mid-January.
Undergraduate Research and Fellowships Mentoring is part of Penn State Undergraduate Education.