Champion for Sustainability, Environment Earns Udall Scholarship

University of Texas at Dallas senior Paulina Hruskoci has had an interest in sustainability since an early age.

“I grew up visiting national parks and camping and hiking with my family, which sparked my interest in protecting the environment,” she said. “I was so grateful to have the opportunity to see so many parks — and 47 states — through our summer travels.”

Now, as one of this year’s 55 Udall Scholars, Hruskoci has earned a $7,000 scholarship that will support her interest in protecting the environment. The Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation, established by Congress and named for the former congressmen and brothers, awards scholarships based on commitment to careers in the environment, tribal public policy or Native health care; leadership potential; record of public service; and academic achievement.

“My career goal is to strengthen municipal climate planning through increased federal research and implementation guidance,” said Hruskoci, a Eugene McDermott Scholar majoring in geospatial information sciences and minoring in political science in the School of Economic, Political and Policy Sciences. “I hope to pursue a PhD in urban planning and then lead climate policy development for a federal government agency, such as FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] or the EPA [Environmental Protection Agency].”

Gary Cocke, UT Dallas director of energy conservation and sustainability and one of Hruskoci’s mentors, said she has excelled, especially as a consensus-builder.

“Paulina has the unique combination of passion, expertise and charisma that will enable her to make an impact wherever her path leads,” he said. “I can’t wait to see the good that she will ultimately organize and create.”

Hruskoci has held a variety of leadership roles in sustainability and environmentalism at UTD.

As an Eco Rep, she helped UTD create its first comprehensive sustainable development goal report, guided by the Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education.

She has also worked with Student Government, the student Environmental Conservation Organization at UTD and the University’s Sustainability Committee to help develop a campuswide, single-use plastics reduction policy, for which Cocke said Hruskoci is significantly responsible.

“Paulina has the unique combination of passion, expertise and charisma that will enable her to make an impact wherever her path leads. I can’t wait to see the good that she will ultimately organize and create.”

Gary Cocke, UT Dallas director of energy conservation and sustainability

“She is the reason that UTD is on the precipice of becoming the first university in Texas to sign the #breakfreefromplastic pledge to phase out single-use plastics on campus and set timelines for those that cannot be eliminated immediately,” he said.

As a teaching assistant for a course on sustainable development goals and local action, Hruskoci delivered weekly lectures on sustainability to her peers.

That experience increased her understanding of how making an impact on climate action is both an individual and a group effort, she said.

“We need change on the national scale, but we can also absolutely make a difference through changes in our own communities,” she said. “During my year as a teaching assistant, we had one student share how he had implemented a water conservation process at the restaurant he worked at. That’s the type of change I look up to.”

Hruskoci said her climate advocacy philosophy can be summed up by her grandfather’s favorite quote, from self-help author Napoleon Hill: “Do not wait: The time will never be just right. Start where you stand, and work with whatever tools you may have at your command, and better tools will be found as you go along.”

Hruskoci’s biggest advice for aspiring environmental advocates is to be inclusive and optimistic in your activism.

“There’s no need to wait to make an impact until you think you can,” she said. “You can start right now.”

Dr. Douglas C. Dow, interim dean of the Hobson Wildenthal Honors College and director of UTD’s Office of Distinguished Scholarships, said Hruskoci has the intelligence, drive and creativity to make a real difference.

“Committed to sound long-term environmental policy, skilled at organizational collaboration and grounded in geospatial information sciences, Paulina is preparing well to assume a position of leadership in protecting our built environments from climate harms,” he said.

This year’s class of Udall Scholars was selected from 382 candidates nominated by 181 colleges and universities.