Evelyn Many
Evelyn Many, a junior at the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has been awarded the Udall Scholarship. This highly selective scholarship identifies future leaders in environmental, Tribal public policy, and health care fields.
Many, one of 65 recipients of this year’s award, is the first UT student to receive the scholarship since 2021.
“Receiving the Udall Scholarship means so much to my education and future as a conservation biologist,” said Many. “Wildlife and nature are incredibly important for the wellbeing of the whole planet, and I am honored to be given the support to continue on this career path.”
Named in honor of brothers Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall, steadfast advocates in the field of environmental preservation, Native American self-governance and health care, the premier award recognizes students seeking to pursue careers in environmental stewardship.
As a Knoxville native, Many was surrounded by the breadth of East Tennessee’s natural offerings from an early age. A wildlife and fisheries major and Hispanic studies minor in the Herbert College of Agriculture, her passions have found a home at UT.
Under the guidance of Professor Elizabeth Derryberry in the Department of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Many has conducted research on avian communication in the Derryberry lab, earning the Advanced Undergraduate Research Activity grant from the Office of Undergraduate Research and Fellowships (OURF). She has continued to engage with her coursework in other ways outside the laboratory, spending a semester abroad in Ecuador as part of the School for International Training’s ecology and conservation program.
Outside the laboratory, Many is actively engaged in environmental groups on campus, serving as the founder and president of the UT caving club, as well as a member of the canoe and hiking club and the wildlife and fisheries society. She can also be found traversing the state of Tennessee as a cave mapper and explorer for Scott’s Gulf State Park, a volunteer for the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency, and as a volunteer for the Oak Ridge National Laboratory’s deer check station and bat id lab, where she is responsible for species data collection.
Throughout her time at the university, Many has demonstrated an authentic dedication toward the existence and protection of wildlife and Earth’s natural ecosystems.
“Every step Many has taken—her research, her study abroad, her community engagement, and her extracurriculars—has been in line with her future goals as a conservation biologist,” said Meredith Malburne-Wade, OURF’s director of undergraduate research and fellowships. “She has been singular in her vision and, in true Volunteer spirit, generous with her time as she supports her local and global communities. Many’ receipt of the Udall Scholarship speaks to her achievements and her focus and we couldn’t be happier for her.”
Graduating in May 2027, Many plans to attend graduate school and to strengthen her commitment to environmental preservation through research of the anthropogenic effects on wildlife health and behavior. Post college, she plans to become an educator in a public-facing institution like a museum, national park, or zoo.