Lincoln Among 50 Students in U.S. Awarded Udall Scholarships

Sage M. Lincoln has won a 2015 Udall Undergraduate Scholarship for her outstanding academic record and research in environmental studies. As a Udall Scholar, Lincoln will receive as much as $5,000 in tuition aid and will participate in the Udall Foundation’s 2015 Scholar Orientation in Tucson, Ariz. 

Lincoln is one of 50 students in the nation to receive the honor, and she is Pitt’s eighth Udall Undergraduate Scholar in the last 20 years. In addition, Pitt students Anna L. Greenberg and Alexandra L. Yingst have received Udall Undergraduate Scholarship Honorable Mention Designations. 

The Udall Undergraduate Scholarship recognizes extraordinary sophomores and juniors nationwide for their leadership, public service, and commitment to careers related to the advancement of American Indian nations or the environment. The scholarship is awarded by the Udall Foundation, established by the U.S. Congress and named for the late Congressmen Morris King Udall and Stewart Lee Udall, both of Arizona, for their exemplary records of public service. 

“The competitive Udall Undergraduate Scholarship is one of the country’s premier honors available to student leaders who are dedicated to making a positive impact on the environment,” said Pitt Chancellor Patrick Gallagher. “I am pleased that Pitt students have been recognized in this national competition, and I commend them on their success and hard work.”

A native of Pittsburgh’s Squirrel Hill neighborhood, Lincoln is majoring in ecology and evolution, environmental geology, and urban studies in the Kenneth P. Dietrich School of Arts and Sciences. She is considering career options within the environmental policy field, focusing on issues related to sustainability in urban areas. Her ultimate career ambition is to be a key figure in the creation of equitable communities that are more resilient to the impact of climate change. 

Since the fall of 2013, Lincoln has conducted research in the paleoclimatology lake sediment laboratory of Mark B. Abbott, professor and chair of Pitt’s Department of Geology and Planetary Science. Within Abbott’s lab, she has helped to analyze lake-core sediments taken from the Dianchi Lake in China’s Yunnan province. As an environmental supporter, Lincoln also has spearheaded a local community gardening initiative and served as the primary coordinator for a bus excursion for more than 50 Pitt students to attend the 2014 People’s Climate March, a large-scale environmental advocacy event that promoted global action against climate change, in New York City. 

Pitt’s Office of the Provost recently recognized Lincoln with a 2015 Sustainability Award in the student category for her work as a student sustainability intern at Pitt. In this position, she has worked to develop new waste-stream-system policies for the University’s housing and dining facilities. 

“Sage Lincoln is an exceptional student who has displayed a dedicated commitment and a remarkable level of caring for the environment and the University of Pittsburgh,” said University Honors College Dean Edward M. Stricker. “As is evident through her work in international environmental research as well as her contributions to Pitt as its student sustainability intern, Sage has a promising career in the environmental policy field ahead of her.” 

In addition to the Udall Undergraduate Scholarship, Lincoln was recently awarded the 2015 Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. She also has been honored with Pitt’s 2015 G. Alec Stewart Student Achievement Award, 2015 Community Based Research Award, and 2014 Vira I. Heinz Scholarship. 

Udall Undergraduate Scholarship Honorable Mention Designee Anna L. Greenberg is a sophomore from Chicago, Ill., majoring in environmental studies. Udall Undergraduate Scholarship Honorable Mention Designee Alexandra L. Yingst is a junior from Harrisburg, Pa., majoring in biological sciences and sociology. Pitt’s 2015 Udall Undergraduate Scholarship students were nominated with assistance from Pitt’s University Honors College, which advises Pitt undergraduate students and alumni who are interested in pursuing national and international awards.