DURHAM, N.C. — Claire Wang, an environmental science and policy major at the Nicholas School of the Environment, is one of three Duke University students this year who have been awarded a prestigious Udall Scholarship, which recognize outstanding undergraduate scholars  who have demonstrated a commitment to careers in the environment or Native American tribal public policy or health care.

Wang, a junior from North Salt Lake, Utah, who is minoring in Economics and Chinese, has been an environmental advocate since her early teen years, organizing support for third-party energy sales from renewable sources with Utah Clean Energy.

At the close of her first year at Duke as an A. B. Duke Scholar, Wang was president of the Duke Climate Coalition, and noticed a summer break announcement of a natural gas power plant on Duke’s campus. She assembled a coalition of campus groups to oppose the plan, which subsequently underwent a period of public comment and review and has since been suspended indefinitely.

Last year, Wang was named as a Udall Scholarship honorable mention. Since then she has served as a Summer Policy & Legislation Intern with Earthjustice, and a research assistant at the Duke University Environmental Justice Lab. Wang was also named a 2018 Duke nominee for the Truman Scholarship.

The Udall Scholarship honors the legacies of Morris Udall and Stewart Udall, whose careers had a significant impact on Native American self-governance, health care, and the stewardship of public lands and natural resources. The program awards around 50 scholarships worth up to $7,000 each year.

This is the first time since 1997 that Duke has had three Udall Scholars awarded in a single year. You can read more about the two other recipients here.

For more information on the Udall Scholarship, visit www.udall.gov.

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