Elizabeth Austin ’20 Receives Prestigious Scholarship to Conduct Climate Research
Elizabeth Austin ’20, a junior at Middlebury College in Vermont, has been selected for a Udall Foundation Scholarship. She will receive a $7,000 grant to focus on her research in the emerging field of conservation paleontology.
Austin was one of 55 students selected nationally for the Udall Foundation Scholarship, which is awarded to college sophomores and juniors for leadership, public service, and commitment to issues related to the environment or Native American nations.
She is pursuing a dual degree in earth and climate sciences as well as environmental studies at Middlebury College. Austin’s focus is on conservation paleontology, and her specific research centers around using preserved plant material in Neotoma middens to reconstruct Earth’s past climate record, which helps with current urban greening practices.
According to the Udall Foundation, Austin’s work helps provide a baseline of where our climate has been and seeks to lead us into a just future. With the scholarship, she will conduct climate research with a focus on environmental justice. She has presented her research to national and international audiences, including at the Shoals Marine Laboratory, the Geological Society of America, and the Conservation Paleobiology Research Network. Austin credits Hutchison with helping her discover and delve into her interest in environmental science.
“Hutchison prepared me to take on workloads and approach problems with multifaceted solutions. Working on the Hutchison Farm also helped me to see the interactions between people and our environment. I am thankful for all the teachers at Hutchison who fostered my love for earth and climate science,” she said.
Austin also has interned at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History in Washington, D.C., evaluating how the fur trade has impacted current ecological systems and indigenous people. She is currently working with the Conservation Paleobiology Network and the La Brea Tar Pits, an active paleontological research site in Los Angeles.
Spring is a time of traditions at Hutchison. Some, like the celebration of May Day, have been around for a century or more. And some, like the Number Five Award, are brand new.
Empathy. Discomfort. Controversy. Curiosity. Perspective. Engagement. These six words encompass a wide range of emotional and intellectual ideas. In the fall of 2020, when the Class of 2024 were freshmen, they started attending sessions to learn about civil discourse. While the world was still navigating the pandemic, it was a great time to practice how to have constructive conversations about things we agree on… and things we disagree on.
Nine Hutchison upper school girls served the Memphis community during the Church Health Youth Service Council’s inaugural year and will continue to serve on the council next school year.
Hutchison Now highlights graduates early in their careers who embody how a Hutchison education can lead anywhere you can imagine. We spoke with Shelton Wittenberg ’14, an associate attorney at Baker Donelson who also coaches Hutchison middle school lacrosse.
Jordan Deupree ’24 and Bailey Wiener ’24 have been recognized for their leadership in their selection for the Next Gen program, which provides students with mentorship and opportunities to learn more about the Memphis business community.
Hutchison alumna Dr. Kelly Rodney Arnold ’96 had the honor of serving as the commencement speaker for the University of Tennessee, Knoxville’s College of Arts and Sciences ceremony in May 2024.
At Hutchison, Zelia Cedeño-Avila ’24 stepped out of her comfort zone to try many different things and hone in on her interest in science and math, from serving as Technology Council president to creating a robotic scarecrow for her myExperience capstone project. A lifelong learner, she will bring her knowledge and skills to Vanderbilt University, where she plans to study mechanical engineering.
Three upper school students will participate in high-intensity summer programs in subjects including emerging technologies, international studies, and computational physics.
A discovery in one science class led Izzy Ellis ’24 to delve deeper into her interest in biology and map out a path for college and beyond. Along the way, she nurtured other interests, from athletics to civics. An aspiring oncologist, her dream is to find a new, innovative treatment that could help save lives.
Hutchison world language students participated in the 2024 U of M Language Fair, sponsored by The University of Memphis Department of World Languages and Literatures. Demonstrating their knowledge of Spanish, Hutchison had a total of 12 students win awards at the fair.
AP Scholar and National African American Recognition Program Scholar Lauren Coleman ’24 explored her interest in science and the environment at Hutchison. She hopes to make a difference through a career in sustainability.
J’oules Williams ’24 is a member of Memphis Parent magazine’s inaugural 10 under 20 class. The award celebrates youth who strive to make a difference in their community and change the lives of others for the better.
Adela Calzada ’24 has attended Hutchison since pre-K, and she said it allowed her to blossom into a leader who also makes Hutchison feel like home for her peers.
Our inaugural graduating class of the myExperience program presented their capstone projects with confidence, poise, and enthusiasm at our first myExperience Senior Showcase.