Junior landscape architecture student Vincent Gasper recently received recognition for his dedication to changing urban landscape when he became one of 80 students from across from the country to receive the prestigious Morris. K. Udall Scholarship. “So many of the [Udall] Scholars have done such incredible things; I’m honored to be among them,” said Gasper.

Each year, the Udall Foundation offers scholarships and honorable mentions to junior- and sophomore-level college students who have demonstrated a commitment to pursuing careers related to the environment.

In addition to maintaining a 3.72 grade point average, Gasper is involved in several community programs that offer inner-city residents access to gardens and green space.

“I want to create ecologically sound design solutions for the urban landscape,” Gasper said. “I want to transform brownfields and urban blight from negative spaces that detract from their surroundings to positive areas where the public can be educated about natural issues such as water management, while also enjoying an aesthetically beautiful landscape.”

During his sophomore year, Gasper worked on a service-learning project for the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, which allowed him to create plans to transform several of Philadelphia’s vacant lots into usable green space.

“The Udall Scholarship is extremely competitive. I am very proud that [Vincent] was able to garner this recognition; he’s very deserving of the award,” said Temple University Ambler Senior Associate Dean Dr. Lolly Tai, who nominated Gasper for the scholarship. “His landscape designs always incorporate elements of sustainability.”

Fatima Abbas, a junior geography and urban studies major, earned an honorable mention in the scholarship competition this year for her research on the non-recognition of Native American tribes and their access to federal funding.

Abbas also has conducted several independent research programs in and around Philadelphia. During the summer of 2006, she supervised a program that was designed to promote the use of computer technology in underserved urban centers.

“I am particularly honored to receive the honorable mention because I am Native American, and my entry was Temple’s first entry underneath the Native American healthcare category,” she said.

Abbas has been accepted to the London School of Economics, where she plans to work toward a graduate degree in health, community, and development in the Institute of Social Psychology.