Two W.A. Franke Honors Students selected as 2024 Udall Scholars

The Udall Undergraduate Scholarship honors the legacies of Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall, whose careers in public service had a significant impact on Native American self-governance, health care, and the stewardship of public lands and natural resources. This year, the Udall Foundation awarded  scholarships to 55 undergraduates from 50 universities across the country. Two W.A. Franke Honors Students, Amanda Adams and Ojas Sanghi, received scholarships in the healthcare and environment categories respectively.

The Udall Scholarship provides up to $7,000 of funding for students' junior or senior year of academic study. Since the program began in 1996, the Udall Foundation has awarded 1,953 scholarships, totaling over $10.360 million in financial support for students throughout the United States.

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Amanda Adams

Amanda is a University of Arizona junior majoring in molecular and cellular biology with minors in Psychology, Spanish, and Biochemistry. After graduation, she aspires to earn a master's degree in genetic counseling and to bring such specialized care to the Native American community. Amanda has spent the past three years researching how environmental exposures can damage the female reproductive system, with an emphasis on wood fire smoke exposure. She hopes to combine this research with genetics to help women overcome infertility. She also volunteers her time to serve the youth of Tucson via camping trips with Camp Wildcat and peer grief support groups with Tu Nidito.

Ojas Sanghi

Ojas is a Computer Science major and Future Earth Resilience minor at the University of Arizona. He aims to help curb the climate crisis by employing AI to help advance climate policy. He is the Tucson Co-Lead of the AZ Youth Climate Coalition and was appointed by Tucson's Vice Mayor to the City's Climate Change Commission, where he has worked to advance the country's most comprehensive school climate action resolution as well as help shape the content and implementation of Tucson's Climate Action Plan. He is the Vice President of University of Arizona Divest, a fossil fuel divestment group, and is also a Liverman Scholar. Finally, he works at a Student Researcher in Dr Printz's Research Group, employing AI to help develop printable solar panels.

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