Northwestern University Athletics
Renee Wellman Honored With Prestigious Udall Scholarship
5/12/2015 12:19:00 AM | Women's Cross Country & Track
Junior one of four NU honorees as University sweeps 2015 congressional scholarship awards
EVANSTON, Ill. -- Wildcats cross-country junior Renee Wellman has earned a prestigious Udall Scholarship, one of four Northwestern students honored as the University swept the elite congressional scholarship awards in 2015.
The three nomination-only awards highlight undergraduates who excel academically and show leadership in STEM research, public service and environmentalism. Northwestern last had winners for all three scholarships (Udall, Goldwater and Truman) at the same time during the 2005-06 academic year. The Udall Scholarship recognizes students committed to environment-related careers or Native American and Alaska Natives who intend to work in native health care or tribal public policy.
As a runner, Wellman developed a different perspective of her Indiana hometown than many of her car-dependent peers. Though her town was considered running- and bike-friendly, she often had to cross highways and strip malls to reach the paths.
"Running showed me the extent to which a city's physical and political infrastructure is necessary to support environmentally conscious lifestyle choices," said Wellman.
A junior in the School of Education and Social Policy, Wellman now wants to create initiatives that promote better access to healthful food, less fossil-fuel dependent transportation and better management of ecosystems and green spaces.
She has worked to change the college food culture by campaigning for "real food," serving as co-president of Wild Roots, the campus vegetable garden, and launching a student-athlete led initiative to address sustainability issues among athletes, teams and facilities.
"I first got involved with Wild Roots during my freshman year, and was named co-president last spring," Wellman said. "Wild Roots is meant to provide a relaxing but educational space for students to learn about sustainable gardening practices while also starting conversations about sustainability, social justice, and the wider food system. This group has allowed me to explore my interests in environmental issues while also providing a fun, relaxing way to get to know a new group of students."
After organizing the athletics side of a campus-wide shoe drive, she gathered representatives from Northwestern's varsity teams to discuss ways to reduce waste by reusing shower towels, turning off lights in the athletic facilities and promoting recycling at athletic competitions.
Wellman, who hopes to be an urban planner or nonprofit administrator, wants to use "placemaking," or the planning of cities around community gathering places such as farmers markets and public gardens, to influence food policy and community design. "These designs favor alternative modes of transportation, such as walking and biking and the development of urban green spaces," she said.
In addition to the $5,000 Udall scholarship, the junior will attend a conference this summer in Tuscon, Arizona, with other winners.
I am excited to meet the other students from across the country with different backgrounds. We will all have different perspectives on issues relating to the environment or American Indian public health and tribal policy.
