Natalie Donato, 2025 Udall Scholar (Environment)
(May 14, 2025) Natalie Donato from Folsom, CA, an OSU Honors College junior studying Marine Biology and Ecology with a minor in Biological Data Sciences has been named a 2025 Udall Scholar in the Environment category. Also a 2025 Goldwater Scholar, Natalie is the second OSU student two years in a row to receive both national honors. Natalie’s specialty in Marine Biology, her work in Chapple Big Fish Lab, and her passion for artwork have informed her pathway in science communication for marine animals and her interest in sensory biology. In the future, Natalie will earn a PhD in sensory biology and ecology of marine animals where she will continue to conduct research on the ocean’s marine species, leading conservation efforts, and teaching the next generation of marine biologists through her research and artwork.
Three other talented students were also nominated by OSU to compete at the national level for the Udall Scholarship: Jill Aire a junior in the College of Forestry, studying Natural Resources and Sustainability; Travolis Williams a junior in the College of Science, studying Marine Biology and Ecology; and Lily Bell a sophomore in the Honors College and College of Engineering studying Ecological Engineering.
The Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation (Udall Foundation) announced on May 14th that 55 students from 45 colleges and universities have been selected as 2025 Udall Scholars. This year's class was selected on the basis of commitment to careers in the environment, Tribal public policy, or Native health care; leadership potential; record of public service; and academic achievement. The 2025 Udall Scholars were selected from 381 candidates nominated by 175 colleges and universities. Thirty-eight Scholars intend to pursue careers related to the environment, 10 Native American or Alaska Native Scholars intend to pursue careers related to Tribal public policy, and seven Native American or Alaska Native Scholars intend to pursue careers related to Native health care.
Each scholarship provides up to $7,000 for eligible academic expenses for the Scholar’s junior or senior year of academic study. Since the program’s inception in 1996, the Udall Foundation has awarded 2,008 Udall Scholarships totaling over $10.745 million and 1,399 Honorable Mentions.
The 2025 Udall Scholars will connect August 5-6 for the annual Udall Scholar Orientation to meet one another and program alumni; learn more about the Udall legacy of public service; and interact with community leaders in environmental fields, Tribal health care, and governance.
More Information:
For more information about the Udall Scholarship for OSU students, please contact LeAnn Adam, Director, National and Global Scholarships Advising and visit the Udall Foundation website. Meet the 2024 Scholars.
Selected 2025 Udall Applicant Statistics
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381 eligible applicants were nominated by their academic institution.
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333 students applied in the Environmental category, 29 in Tribal Public Policy, and 19 in Native Health Care.
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377 applicants came from four-year institutions and four came from two-year colleges.
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121 Sophomores and 260 Juniors.
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175 institutions nominated students; two schools nominated students for the first time.
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Nominees came from 46 states, the District of Columbia, and 29 Tribes and Alaska Native Villages.
Scholar Statistics:
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55 Scholars and 55 Honorable Mentions were selected.
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38 Scholarships were awarded in the Environmental category, 10 in Tribal Public Policy, and seven in Native Health Care.
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12 Sophomores and 43 Juniors.
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Two Scholars were also Scholars in 2024; one Scholar was an Honorable Mention in 2024.
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45 institutions have Scholars; four of those have Scholars for the first time and 13 have Scholars for the first time in three or more years.
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Scholars come from 31 states, the District of Columbia, and 12 Tribes.
About the Udall Foundation:
The Morris K. Udall Foundation was established by the U.S. Congress in 1992 as an independent executive branch agency to honor Morris K. Udall's lasting impact on this Nation’s environment, public lands, and natural resources, and his support of the rights and self-governance of Native Americans and Alaska Natives. In 2009, Congress enacted legislation to also honor Stewart L. Udall for his half century of distinguished national leadership in environmental and Native American policy. The agency is known today as the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation (Udall Foundation) and is headquartered in Tucson, Arizona.