U of A Student Named 2021 Udall Scholar

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Alexis Barber

Two U of A students have been recognized by the Morris K. and Stewart L. Udall Scholarship Foundation for their commitment to environmental sustainability as well as demonstrated leadership connected to the environment on campus and in their communities.

Alexis Barber, a U of A honors junior from West Plains, Missouri, was named a Morris K. and Stewart L. Udall Scholar. Zane Colvin, an honors landscape architecture major with minors in urban and regional planning and in sustainability, was recognized as an honorable mention for the Udall Scholarship.

The Morris K. and Stewart L. Udall Scholarship Foundation awards 55 merit-based scholarships of up to $7,000 and 55 honorable mentions to college sophomores and juniors. Students apply in the categories of environment or in Native American healthcare or tribal policy (students in this latter category must be Native American). Applicants go through a rigorous and limited nomination process on their own campuses prior to having their applications submitted to the foundation. 

ALEXIS BARBER

Majoring in biological engineering with a sustainability minor, Barber has actively engaged in the Biological Engineering Student Club, the Volunteer Action Center and an ecological restoration project. Off-campus, she has interned with several engineering firms, including most recently as an environmental engineering intern at Perennial Energy in Pennsylvania.  

"I am extremely grateful and honored to be a part of the Udall Scholar Family,” Barber said. “It is a great privilege to represent the University of Arkansas, and I am looking forward to connecting with Udall Scholars from across the country to learn and share ideas.”

Barber’s professional aspirations are to build a career around utilizing the emissions from landfills in the United States as a means to make clean energy from the methane being released.

Upon graduation, Barber plans on entering the renewable energy industry and hopes to start her own business designing methane-reducing technologies for landfills that are trying to reduce their emission rates. 

Barber said, “I want to start my own business to ensure the profits I generate can be used to fund environmental restoration efforts.”

“Alexis is incredibly smart, getting things done because she is organized, proactive and engaged,” said Scott Osborn, associate professor of biological and agricultural engineering and Barber’s mentor. “Throughout her future career, she will be a leader addressing problems with both the environment and environmental justice. Alexis' potential is so great because she has the rare combination of intellect, work ethic, devotion to this cause and a deep respect and empathy for her fellow humans as both individuals and communities.”

This year’s class of Udall Scholars was selected from 416 candidates nominated by 187 colleges and universities. Thirty-seven Scholars intend to pursue careers related to the environment; 18 Native American/Alaska Native Scholars intend to pursue careers related to tribal public policy or Native health care.

The annual Udall Scholar Orientation will be held this August. Scholars will meet and connect with program alumni; learn more about the Udall legacy of public service; and interact with community leaders in environmental fields, Tribal health care and governance.

ZANE COLVIN

Originally from Wynne, Colvin has been involved with numerous campus clubs, including Students Advocating for the Environment, Citizens’ Climate Lobby, RecycleBacks and the Volunteer Action Center. He currently serves on the City of Fayetteville’s Urban Forestry Advisory Board. He has also worked with Tri Cycle Farms in Fayetteville.

Zane Colvin

"I feel so honored to be recognized by the Udall Foundation, and plan to implement sustainable practices throughout my career,” he said. “I plan to become a licensed landscape architect, to hold public office in Arkansas, and to use both of these fields to create a more sustainable world, to protect natural places and re-establish lost habitats and to create parks across the state.”

“Zane’s passion and conviction for the environment is strong, evidenced not only by his commitment to landscape architecture, but also by his work in the profession to date,” said Scott Biehle, teaching assistant professor of landscape architecture. “He is an engaged and committed individual, serving not only his program of study, his school and his university, but also serving in the public realm and participating in the development of future environmentalists and designers.  He will be an excellent representative of the Udall Foundation and of the University of Arkansas.” 

“The Udall Scholarship recognized students who are dedicated to building a world that sustainable, promoting biodiversity, as well as environmental justice,” said Charles Robinson, provost and vice chancellor for academic and student affairs. “Though their career paths take them in very different directions, Alexis Barber and Zane Colvin have both demonstrated a commitment to environmental sustainability. They are committed to addressing global environmental issues through innovation and conservation in order to improve the lives of those in local communities. The University of Arkansas is dedicated to being good stewards of the environment, and we wish them great success in their future careers.”

Both Barber and Colvin will become members of the Udall Alumni Association, connecting them to a large cohort of other scholars and honorable mention designees.  

U of A students who are interested in applying for the Udall Scholarship should contact the Office of Nationally Competitive Awards at awards@uark.edu. 

About the U of A Udall Scholars: U of A has produced 10 Udall Scholars and 14 Honorable Mentions. The most recent Udall Scholars include Elise N. Clote, agribusiness and marketing (tribal public policy focus), 2015; Michael Reinisch, chemical engineering and physics (environment focus), 2015; Andrea Love, agronomy and communication (environment focus), 2013; Mallory Scheurer, nursing (tribal health care focus), 2012.

About the University of Arkansas: As Arkansas' flagship institution, the U of A provides an internationally competitive education in more than 200 academic programs. Founded in 1871, the U of A contributes more than $2.2 billion to Arkansas’ economy through the teaching of new knowledge and skills, entrepreneurship and job development, discovery through research and creative activity while also providing training for professional disciplines. The Carnegie Foundation classifies the U of A among the top 3% of U.S. colleges and universities with the highest level of research activity. U.S. News & World Report ranks the U of A among the top public universities in the nation. See how the U of A works to build a better world at Arkansas Research News.