Madison Hodges

2021 Udall Scholar

Hometown

Greenwood, IN

Major

Environmental and Ecological Engineering

College

College of Engineering; Honors College

 

The Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall Foundation, established in 1992, recognizes college sophomores and juniors for leadership, public service and commitment to issues related to the environment or American Indian nations.

Madison Hodges aspires to lead cities toward a low-carbon society with climate adaptation and resilience planning. This vision of a future in public service is rooted in the reality of her initiative and leadership demonstrated on and off the campus of Purdue.

From developing a climate action plan through a summer internship at the City of West Lafayette to working in partnership with the Go Greener Commission, the Purdue Student Sustainability Council, and the Office of Engagement, Madison engaged her grant writing and contract negotiating skills across different sectors. Ultimately, Madison made an impact on the food waste stream by diverting over 12,000 pounds of food waste from private housing around Purdue, including 14 fraternity and sorority houses, to the West Lafayette anaerobic digester.

After completing her undergraduate studies, Madison plans to pursue an MS in environmental studies, focused on policy, resiliency, and adaptation. Purdue’s sixth Udall scholar since 2013, Madison has been the recipient of several awards honoring her achievements in engineering including the Environmental Engineering Outstanding Sophomore, the Gaylord Nelson Award, the Industrial Roundtable Scholarship, and the Raytheon Scholarship.