Alex Mallory

Alex Mallory has earned a 2014 Udall Scholarship. The junior history and political science major is the first UNL student to receive the award.

Established in 1992, the Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation provides $5,000 scholarships to students who have shown a commitment to careers related to the environment and to Native students who have demonstrated a commitment to tribal public policy-related careers.

Scholarship recipients demonstrate leadership, academic achievement and a strong record of public service. The 2014 Udall scholars will assemble in Tucson, Ariz., in August to receive their awards and meet policymakers and community leaders in environmental fields, tribal health care and governance.

“I am so excited for Alex,” said Laura Damuth, director of national and international fellowships, who worked with Mallory to complete his application. “The Udall Scholarship is such a strong confirmation of the work for Native Americans that he has already done while an undergraduate at UNL. We are so proud of him and this achievement.”

Mallory, a junior from South Sioux City and the grandson of a former Winnebago tribal councilman, is a recipient of the Susan Thompson Buffet Scholarship. He is dedicated to a career in public service specifically focused on serving Native Americans and is a page in the Nebraska Legislature. Mallory has previously worked as an intern in the office of U.S. Sen. Deb Fischer (R-Neb.) and as a corporate intern at Ho-Chunk Inc., a company owned by the Winnebago Tribe of Nebraska that promotes economic development.

Victoria Smith, associate professor of history and ethnic studies and Mallory’s research advisor, said that Mallory’s academic accomplishments “serve as an inspiration to all UNL students, and reflect the high standards Native American in academia set for themselves.”

To be named a recipient for the Udall Scholarship is an honor and privilege, Mallory said.

“I am so proud to be able to represent the University of Nebraska-Lincoln,” he said. “I am so incredibly thankful for all the support and encouragement from all my professors and peers and absolutely thrilled to be joining the Udall community of scholars.”

Mallory said he hopes to pursue a law degree from the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University, which has a nationally acclaimed Indian Legal Program. He aims to earn an Indian Law Certificate, which would certify him to specialize in the field of Indian law.

Mallory’s post-graduate career goal is to work for the Native American Rights Fund, a nonprofit organization that works to ensure that state and federal governments uphold their respective legal obligations while also providing assistance and legal representation to Indian tribes. He said he also plans to become involved in politics.