PITT JUNIOR WINS PRESTIGIOUS UDALL SCHOLARSHIP

PITTSBURGH, May 17 -- Martha J. (Jenny) Lee, a junior involved extensively in undergraduate environmental research in the University of Pittsburgh Department of Geology and Planetary Science, is one of 75 students from 42 states to win the prestigious Morris K. Udall Scholarship for the

1999-2000 academic year. Lee is the only Pennsylvania resident to receive the fellowship this year, Pitt's first year of participation in the Udall competition.

Established by Congress in 1992 to honor Congressman Morris K. Udall, the Udall Scholarship recognizes U.S. students with excellent academic records and demonstrated interest in careers in the fields of environmental public policy, health care and tribal public policy.

Lee's academic studies focus on environmental geology. She hopes to advise industry on intelligent responses to environmental challenges. The Udall Scholarship provides a $5,000 award toward tuition, fees, books and room and board following an all-expenses-paid recognition weekend in Tucson this summer.

"Jenny Lee typifies the student who loves to learn by doing," said Tom Anderson, chairman of the Department of Geology and Planetary Science. "She has pursued her strongly held interests in environmental geology and issues by means of hands-on research activities especially within the area of environmental geochemistry. We are delighted that her hard work has been acknowledged by this prestigious award."

The Udall Scholarship win tops another banner year for University of Pittsburgh undergraduates competing for national scholarships. Pitt students this year garnered three Barry M. Goldwater Scholarships, the nation's premier undergraduate award in the fields of mathematics, the natural sciences and engineering. For the second year in a row, no other college or university in Pennsylvania, private or public, won more Goldwaters than Pitt. This year's Goldwater winners are engineering students Damion Shelton and Sumanas Wanant, and biological sciences major David Wolfe.

Additionally, four of Pitt's graduating seniors have won National Science Foundation fellowships covering their Ph.D. studies.

"Pitt's continuing leadership in undergraduate competitions is a testament to excellent faculty mentoring of ambitious students," said Alec Stewart, dean of the University Honors College and Pitt's Udall Scholarship representative. "Pitt is a doorway to unexcelled opportunity for able and motivated undergraduates."

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