“Becky Wood represents the highest standard of excellence of the university,” said OU President David L. Boren. “As a leader in environmental studies and activities, she richly deserves the Udall Scholarship.”
An Albuquerque, N.M., junior, Wood is pursuing degrees in Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Environment and English and holds a 3.89 grade-point average. She is working as an Earth Ambassador for NASA’s Earth Sciences Division, served as a communications intern for the New Mexico Wilderness Alliance last summer and held a Green Infrastructure Assistantship with the OU College of Landscape Architecture last fall. Her career goal is to be a public policy analyst for a geosciences organization after obtaining a law degree and a master’s of law degree in environmental policy.
A National Merit Scholar, Wood is a recipient of the President’s Award for Outstanding Sophomores and the Rita H. Lottinville Prize, and twice received the OU Housing and Food Service Award. She has been selected as a 2012-2013 member of PE-ET, OU’s top 10 senior honor society.
Wood holds leadership positions in numerous environmental groups. She is the current president of OUr Earth, director of long-term sustainability projects through the OU Department of Sustainability, vice chair of OU Green Week, and a member of the College of Arts and Sciences Dean’s Student Advisory Council.
Her public service activities have included working on efforts for the Citizens Climate Lobby Oklahoma, Game Day Recycling Program, U.S. Forest Service wilderness inventory, recycling at the Oklahoma City Memorial Marathon, Americorps Community After School Program, and the Center for Children and Families.
The national scholarship competition is conducted by the Morris K. Udall Foundation, which was authorized by Congress in 1992 to honor the late congressman from Arizona who promoted environmental issues and worked to strengthen Native American tribal self-governance. Chief among legislation he authored was the Alaska Lands Act of 1980. This year, the Udall foundation awarded $5,000 scholarships to 80 students nationwide for the cost of tuition, fees, books, and room and board. The Udall Scholarship was first awarded in 1996.
