Wheaton student wins Udall award for environmental policy

David Giuliani, a Wheaton sophomore, has been awarded a highly competitive Morris K. Udall scholarship to support his undergraduate studies in environmental science. After his graduation from Wheaton, Giuliani plans to study environmental law at Vermont Law School or at Lewis and Clark College of Environmental Law and practice in his home state. Wheaton students also have been awarded both the Rhodes and British Marshall Scholarships this year, as well as several Fulbright awards.

A resident of Montpelier, VT, Giuliani has a particular interest in water-quality issues and forest conservation. ''Fewer than half of Vermont's rivers and lakes are in compliance with the Clean Water Act, and one of my goals is to work on this problem,'' wrote Giuliani in his Udall application.

At Wheaton, he is a biology major, an environmental science minor and a member of Wheaton's vernal pool water research team. His research, funded by the Shouse Foundation through Wheaton's Filene Center for Work and Learning, focuses on cataloguing small invertebrates living in vernal pools.

Only a sophomore, Giuliani is considering a variety of off campus opportunities to complement his research and coursework at Wheaton. This summer he plans to participate in a trout biology research program in Nevada and next fall he will study natural resource management at Australia's University of Melbourne. He is also considering future study in Costa Rica with Duke University's Organization of Tropical Studies.

The Morris K. Udall Foundation was established by the U.S. Congress in 1992 to honor Morris King Udall's thirty years of service in the House of Representatives. Morris Udall's career was distinguished a commitment to preservation of the nation's natural environment. Consistent with these values, the Udall Foundation is committed to educating a new generation of Americans to preserve and protect their national heritage through studies in the environment, Native American health and tribal policy, and effective public policy conflict resolution.

Each year, the Foundation awards undergraduate scholarships of up to $5,000 to American college students in fields related to the environment. The Foundation's activities are supported by the interest accrued in a federal trust fund and by contributions from the private sector.

Wheaton, located in Norton, Mass., is a selective college of the liberal arts and sciences with a student body of 1,500. It is a member of the Twelve College Exchange, which includes Amherst, Bowdoin, Dartmouth, Mount Holyoke, Smith, Trinity, Wellesley and Wesleyan.