LEXINGTON, Ky. — Rising senior AJ Hopkins has been selected to receive the Udall Undergraduate Scholarship, becoming the first University of Kentucky student to earn the highly competitive award since 2013, the university announced this week.

Hopkins, a natural resources and environmental science major and Lewis Honors College student, was selected as one of 65 recipients nationally from 49 colleges and universities. The Udall Scholarship recognizes future leaders in environmental, tribal public policy and health care fields, with awards of $7,500 supporting a student's junior or senior year of academic study.

Hopkins said she looks forward to the networking opportunities through the Udall alumni network, which connects environmental scholars and policy advocates across the nation. "Those connections through the Udall alumni network provide me immense opportunities to engage with and learn from the leaders who came before me," she said.

The rising senior, who minors in public policy, has long been committed to environmental stewardship. A formative childhood memory—reading beside a creek on her property—sparked her environmental passion and desire to protect natural spaces. "I think everyone should be able to find little refuges like this, and that belief drove me to want to learn how to protect those places," Hopkins said.

Krista Jacobsen, an associate professor of sustainable agriculture in the Martin-Gatton College of Agriculture, Food and Environment, said Hopkins' recognition reflects her commitment to environmental stewardship. "She is focused on a career of impact and meaning in our shared global future of environmental sustainability," Jacobsen said.

Hopkins plans to pursue graduate school or law school after finishing at UK, though she said those plans remain open-ended. "I hope that this award and the experience attached to it will help shape my perspective on how I can best apply my skills toward environmental stewardship," she said.

The scholarship is overseen by UK's Office of Nationally Competitive Awards, which helps students pursue major national and international scholarship opportunities. The Udall Foundation selection process is highly competitive, with students participating in internal university competitions before receiving consideration from the foundation.