Three Yale College juniors -- Whitney Patrick Haring-Smith, Caroline Louise Howe and Betsy Rose Scherzer -- were among 80 undergraduates nationwide who received Morris K. Udall Scholarships for the pursuit of studies in environment science.
In addition, Yale sophomore Micah Samuel Ziegler received an honorable mention.
Howe, from Durham, Connecticut, is a double major in environmental and mechanical engineering. The focus of her research is climate change and energy efficiency. She has been studying how to use the heat generated by refrigerators as a source of water heating in a mechanical design course. Next year she plans to investigate ways of capturing waste heat from the fume hoods found in most campus laboratories. With a Green Fund grant and working in a team that includes her fellow Udall Scholarship winner Scherzer, Howe is helping to develop a system for growing algae with a very high oil content and converting it into biodiesel fuel. The process uses carbon dioxide produced by Yale's power plant. Howe is the co-chair of the Yale Student Environmental Coalition, which earlier this year hosted the Northeast Climate Conference, drawing over 300 students from Montreal to Maryland.
Haring-Smith, a political science major from Washington, Pennsylvania, will receive both a master's and a bachelor's degree when he graduates in 2007. Drawing on what he describes as the "art" of political science, Haring-Smith seeks to energize people to use renewable and clean sources of energy. "It's a matter of willpower," he says of building commitment to environmental sustainability. He is the executive director of New Haven Action, a non-profit organization that brings together students and New Haven community members on common projects. In its first campaign, the organization enrolled almost 200 homes in New Haven to use clean energy. Haring-Smith has been a motive force of Yale's Green House Gas Reduction Strategy, which has lowered energy usage on campus by almost 10% from last year. He has also worked for the Oregon Department of Education, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, the U.S. Department of Defense and the Mayor of New Haven. He has performed research on diesel effects on ferries in Puerto Rico, Native American environmental policies in Oregon and pesticide risk in Indiana. His past political work includes serving as a political assistant and policy adviser on local, state and national campaigns, and he currently serves as the senior energy advisor for a gubernatorial campaign.
Scherzer, an environmental engineering major from Tampa, Florida, heads Yale's Biofuel Project, which promotes the use throughout the campus of recycled and biologically derived fuel, specifically, biodiesel made from waste vegetable oil. The waste cooking oil collected from Yale's residential college kitchens now produces 125 gallons of biodiesel a week. Scherzer also runs the Yale Paper Project, which last year convinced the University to shift to using paper with 30% recycled content. The goal for next year, says Scherzer, is 50%. She is also a co-president of the Yale chapter of Engineers without Borders, which in addition to the Biofuel Project, sponsors a program to develop a water collection and distribution system in a village in Honduras. Scherzer is active in Yale's Climate Campaign. As part of Earth Week, Scherzer ran a festival of arts and the environment. The festival included a "Trashion Show," featuring the latest in recycled chic, and a sustainable coffeehouse, serving environmentally friendly confections and beverages.
Hailing from Bethesda, Maryland, Ziegler plans to major in science "with an environmental application." He is the director of the Yale Climate Campaign and active in the campaign to reduce greenhouse gas at Yale. As a "sustainability educator" for the Student Taskforce for Environmental Partnership (STEP), Ziegler raises the consciousness of his fellow undergraduates about energy conservation. This year STEP launched a poster campaign, "Yale Unplugged," urging students to unplug their small appliances before leaving for spring break. The result, Ziegler reports, is that the residential colleges used 10.6% less energy this year than during the spring break of 2005. Ziegler is a science and technology reporter for the Yale Daily News whose beat includes campus environmental matters.
The Udall Foundation honors Congressman Udall's legacy of public service by awarding $5,000 merit-based scholarships to outstanding college students who intend to pursue careers related to the environment, or who intend to pursue careers in Native American health care or tribal public policy and are Native American or Alaska Native. There have been 756 Udall Scholars since the first awards in 1996.
T H I S
W E E K ' SS T O R I E S
Blocker returning to Yale to lead School of Music
Yale historian receives special Pulitzer citation
YCIAS officially renamed as MacMillan Center
New program offers employees back-up child care
President of China Visits Yale
Campus will welcome 18 new Yale World Fellows this fall
FACULTY HONORED
Eight faculty elected to American Academy of Arts and Sciences
Theoretical physicist Girvin named to National Academy of Sciences
Bresnick is new member of American Academy of Arts and Letters
Alexander, Galvani and Valis . . . winners of Guggenheim Fellowships
Historian Amanat selected as Carnegie Scholar
Former airline official to lead Yale's labor-management initiatives
Yale students reduce their energy use by 10%
Anatomy lessons: Faculty testing new method of teaching medical students
'Silent Spring' author is focus of Beinecke Library exhibit
Inaugural play festival features new works by Drama School students
Three students win Morris K. Udall Scholarships . . .
Joint library project to preserve historic sound recordings . . .
Yale Press and Yale Rep launch major competition for new dramatic works
Study to explore lasting effects of early health habits
Fund and lecture named for noted neurologist
In Memoriam: Dr. Thomas T. Amatruda Jr.
Yale Dramat's 'Side Show' tells true tale of vaudeville stars . . .
Weiswasser Lecture will explore HIV prevention in teens
Student Research Day will feature Farr Lecture and . . . presentations
Symposium will explore advances in chemistry and biology
Yale College juniors honored by Council of Masters
Learning the art of wrong thinking
New memorial lectureship at Cancer Center honors Dr. Paul Calebresi . . .
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