OSU's Flint Holbrook named Udall scholar

Friday, April 1, 2011

Oklahoma State University junior Flint Holbrook has been named one of 80 students nationally to win the coveted Morris K. Udall Foundation Scholarship. Holbrook is joined on the Udall list by fellow OSU junior Blake Jackson, who also was named a winner of the Harry S. Truman Scholarship.

“We are extremely proud of the tremendous accomplishments of these two tremendous young men,” said OSU President Burns Hargis.  “OSU has become a regular winner of prestigious national scholarships and Blake and Flint are the latest examples of how OSU students rank among the best in the country academically.”

The Udall scholarship was created in 1992 to honor Congressman Morris K. Udall of Arizona. For three decades, the congressman fought for Native American rights and worked to preserve and protect the nation’s environment, public lands and natural resources.

The Udall scholarship provides $5,000 for educational expenses to outstanding sophomores and juniors who are studying environment-related fields or who are of Native American decent and pursuing fields related to health care or tribal public policy. The application process includes an 800-word essay on one of Udall’s significant public speeches, legislative acts or public policy statements and its relationship to the applicant’s interests or coursework.

“We have a strong student base and outstanding academic programs that suit the Udall requirements perfectly,” said Dr. Bob Graalman, director of the OSU Office of Scholar Development and Recognition. “Of the major awards we oversee on campus, Udall has lately enjoyed the largest number of applications to become OSU nominees. We can nominate six every year, and the other four who weren’t chosen – Evan Booher, Melissa Booher, Jamie Andrews and Rachel Branch – worked just as hard and made a very strong showing. Just being named a nominee is a great accomplishment, considering all the local competition. All of these students were exceptional.”

Holbrook, a biosystems engineering major from Clover, South Carolina, said winning the Udall Scholarship was a huge success, and he said he is passionate about what this award represents.

“It is encouraging to be recognized for my work in undergraduate research and environmental stewardship,” Holbrook said. “I’d like to thank the faculty in biosystems and agricultural engineering for providing me with the opportunities to be involved in undergraduate research. Their advice and encouragement played a major role in pushing me to pursue this national scholarship.”

Holbrook’s essay focused on the need for alternative energy sources to stand alone in the marketplace without backing from taxpayer dollars. After graduation, he said he plans to work in the energy industry and wants to play an active role in bringing new environmental technologies to the market.

Holbrook and Jackson will officially receive their awards at the Udall Scholar Orientation Weekend in Tucson, Ariz., this August. For more information about the Udall scholarship, call Graalman at 405-744-7313 or send him an email at schdev@okstate.edu.