J.R. Lederer '02 has been chosen as Dartmouth's only recipient of one of this year's Morris K. Udall Scholarships, awarded on the basis of academic merit and interest in the environment to 80 college sophomores and juniors nationwide.
According to a press release by the Committee on Graduate Fellowships, the scholarship was founded in 1992 to "honor Congressman Morris King Udall and his legacy of public service ... Scholarships are granted to those who demonstrate a commitment to fields related to the environment, and to Native American and Alaska Native students in fields related to health care and tribal public policy."
The scholarship consists mainly of a monetary award of $5,000 to cover expenses such as tuition and books, according to the release.
Lederer, who is an Economics and Environmental Studies double major, said his primary interest is environmental law, which he hopes to pursue by attending law school or participating in a joint JD/MBA program after he graduates.
"There are a lot of people who graduate with a degree in economics, but much fewer people understand the workings of economics and the environment," Lederer said.
He also said the role of environmental law is to make sure that environmental issues are given as much consideration as economic ones.
As a recipient of the award, Lederer will attend a three-day Scholar's Weekend in Tucson, Arizona, during the month of August to meet with other scholars and members of the scholarship's Board of Directors.
"The weekend will probably have the biggest impact on me," Lederer said, but added that he also has to write a short essay at the end of the year.
This summer, Lederer said he will be taking a course called Environmental Law, which he thinks will help narrow down his specific interests within the field.
Beginning his junior winter, Lederer plans to spend at least two terms in Australia where he will take classes at the University of Melbourne and study the economic and environmental implications of the Mabo Decision. That case overturned a 1971 decision which declared that the aboriginal title to land had not survived British settlement of the continent.
Lederer, who is from Connecticut, is a member of the Student Assembly, a brother at Sigma Alpha Epsilon fraternity, the station manager of D-TV, an undergraduate advisor, and a campus tour guide.
When he isn't attending meetings, Lederer said he enjoys golf and hanging out with friends.
In the future, he said Dartmouth should have a strong pool of applicants for the scholarship because it typically attracts students who are interested in environmental issues as well as students of a Native American background.
