Ashley Atkinson of Wittenberg and Sarah Orlofske of Oak Creek, students in the College of Natural Resources (CNR) at the University of Wisconsin-Stevens Point, have received $5000 Morris K. Udall Scholarships.

Atkinson (pictured at left), the daughter of Jan Atkinson, 301 N. Hunter St., Wittenberg, and Rand Atkinson, 27483 Melody Lane, Boscobel, is a senior majoring in environmental education and interpretation as well as natural science secondary education. She also is pursuing minors in biology and resource management. Sarah, the daughter of Dave and Carole Orlofske, 350 E. Oak Lane, Oak Creek, is a senior majoring in wildlife and biology with a minor in chemistry.

A graduate of Wittenberg-Birnamwood High School, Atkinson is involved with the Environmental Educators and Naturalists Association, the National Association for Interpretation, the Student Wisconsin Education Association, and Omicron Delta Kappa National Leadership Honor Society. She also serves as the promotions coordinator and as a trip leader for Outdoor EdVentures at UWSP. She has received a variety of other awards while at UWSP including the Global Environmental Management (GEM) Ambassador Award, Academic Excellence Award, Wisconsin Garden Club Federation Scholarship, and Irving W. Gerhardt Leadership Scholarship for Resource Management.

Orlofske (pictured at left), a home schooled graduate, serves as president of the UWSP Herpetology Society and leader of the Department of Natural Resources Frog Census Project. She serves as a peer adviser at the CNR Student Success Center and as a biology tutor at the Tutoring Learning Center. She also has been a GEM Student Ambassador to La Reserva Amazonica in Peru. While at UWSP, her achievements have been recognized with a variety of awards including the Clive A. David Memorial Research Scholarship Award, the Kramer Family GEM International Studies Scholarship, and the Academy of Letters and Science Distinguished Achievement Award.

The Morris K. Udall Scholarship, established in 1995 by Congress, pays tribute to the late Congressman "Mo" Udall for his work in conserving and protecting the nation�s natural resources. Udall was instrumental in passing many landmark conservation statutes including the Clean Water Act, Clean Air Act, Nuclear Waste Management Policy Act, Strip Mining Reclamation Act, and the Endangered Species Act. He also was highly involved in the Alaska Lands Act of 1980 which doubled the size of the U.S. National Park system and tripled the size of the Wilderness system. Udall died in 1998 after a 20-year battle with Parkinson�s disease. Since the scholarship was founded, 10 UWSP students have received the award and two others have received honorable mention.

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