Three University of Washington students received recognition from the Udall Foundation for their work protecting natural resources and improving Tribal public policy and relationships.
Anouk-Belle Janess, Lorenzo McCleese and Jaycee Williford are among 65 students named 2026 Udall Undergraduate Scholars across the country. They were chosen from 383 candidates nominated by 181 colleges and universities. They will receive $7,500 as part of the scholarship.
This year’s Udall Scholars major in marine biology, American Indian studies, aquatic conservation and ecology, and environmental science and informatics. They research how climate change is affecting coastal communities and habitats, and how to better work with Indigenous communities affected by the changing climate.
Read on to learn more about these students and their work.
Anouk-Belle Janess, ’27
Major: Marine biology and American Indian Studies; Minor in dance
Hometown: Victoria, Canada
Anouk-Belle Janess grew up on Vancouver Island and from a young age, felt connected to the ocean, developing “a healthy obsession with sharks.” She always knew she wanted to protect the marine environment.
After spending two years at Seattle Central College, she transferred to the UW, specifically to join the marine biology program. Janess then took a class on Indigenous environmental issues, which she found fascinating, and decided to add the American Indian Studies major.
“That class really grounded my interests with local knowledge,” she said. “Now, I can grow my ability to collaborate with communities on sustainable solutions to environmental issues.”
Janess uses both her majors to study the environment with the balanced awareness of diverse systems of knowledge, thinking critically about the Salish Sea as a network of relations and how Indigenous communities have stewarded it for generations.
In addition to her studies, Janess works with the Friday Harbor Laboratories as an undergraduate researcher, writes for The Daily and mentors K-12 students with the Riverways Education Partnerships program, housed in the Community Engagement and Leadership Education Center.
“I came into the UW really keen and eager and excited, and there are so many places and outlets for me to channel that excitement,” she said. “I think that really speaks to the community that UW fosters. It has everything and more to offer me.”
Janess plans to attend graduate school and eventually work in the public sector, like for a tribal marine resources department or a nonprofit organization, to research and communicate the impacts of climate change and colonialism on coastal communities.
Through the process of applying to the Udall Scholarship, Janess discovered how deeply her values of reciprocity, relationality and collaboration aligned with the Udall brothers’ legacy. “I’m really excited to be a part of that foundation and connect with like-minded peers,” she said.
Lorenzo Roel Flores McCleese, ’27
Major: Environmental Science and Informatics
Hometown: Port Townsend, WA
After spending the last year and a half studying oral histories from Indigenous communities in Alaska, Lorenzo McCleese found he is most surprised at how specific the memories can be.
“People’s abilities to understand and speak about environmental change over such a long period of time has been so eye-opening to me,” said McCleese, a Mary Gates Scholar and Departmental Honors student. “It can get so specific about how things like fish runs or river paths change over time.”
Through this work, McCleese wants to show how important qualitative research, like oral histories, is to understanding climate change. Oral histories can work with data and computational analysis to show a clearer picture of Earth over time.
The oral history work is being done through the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center. McCleese is also working on a separate project with the University of California Davis to investigate the presence and stability of climate refuges for sea snails known as red abalone along the California coast.
His work with Indigenous communities in Alaska and environmental impacts in California touches on both the Tribal policy and environmental sides of the Udall Scholarship, an award McCleese has received twice now.
Being a part of the Udall community has helped open McCleese’s mind to the public policy side of his work, he said.
“Hearing my peers talk about their work in policy and what they’re able to do through it inspired me to think about how to implement it into my future career,” he said. McCleese plans to go to graduate school and then into a career of research or leadership work at a federal agency like NOAA.
“It’s an honor to be recognized again in the name of the Udall brothers who were just fantastic policymakers focused on Indigenous lobbying and environmental conservation,” McCleese said.
Jaycee Williford, ’28
Major: Aquatic conservation and ecology, and marine biology; Minor in American Indian Studies
Hometown: Sammamish, WA
When Jaycee Williford got to the UW as a marine biology major, he started to realize that he wanted to braid his own Indigenous identity as a citizen of the Chickasaw Nation of Oklahoma and his teachings into his work.
Williford became more involved in Indigenous communities on campus and back in his hometown of Sammamish. He attended events related to the 50th anniversary of the Boldt decision, which affirmed tribes’ treaty rights to yearly salmon catches, and he heard from elders about how much they need biologists and researchers who are committed to working for and with tribes.
“When you’re doing research, it’s not just enough to just acknowledge who came before you,” he said. “You have to do it in the right way, you have to recognize that this land that we’re on has been stewarded for generations.”
Williford works with the Applied Ecology Lab at the UW to research how ocean alkalinity enhancement impacts species of importance in the Salish Sea. Ocean alkalinity enhancement is a marine carbon dioxide removal strategy and climate solution. Williford’s work, in partnership with the Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe and other organizations, is looking at exactly how this solution impacts species. His work has included Pacific and Olympia oysters, coho salmon, Chinook salmon, and steelhead trout.
Williford also has received the Kurt Grinnell Aquaculture Scholarship, an award for Indigenous people interested in pursuing educational opportunities in aquaculture, fisheries science or natural resource management.
“I would not be here without the community around me, the UW Indigenous community, my faculty, mentors, and elders,” Williford said. “It’s been really instrumental.”
Receiving the Udall Scholarship will help Williford connect with an “incredible network” of other scholars and alumni like him.
“I can’t really fathom that I got the Udall Scholarship,” Williford said. “It’s so validating to write these essays and share my beliefs and values, and that they agree with me.”
About the Udall Scholarship
The Udall Undergraduate Scholarship honors the legacies of brothers Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall who had significant impacts on Native American self-governance, health care and the stewardship of public lands. The scholarships honor college sophomores and juniors for their leadership, public service and commitment to issues related to Native American nations or the environment.
Learn more about scholarship opportunities
The Udall Scholarship application process is supported by the Office of Merit Scholarships, Fellowships and Awards, an Undergraduate Academic Affairs program. The office works with students, faculty and staff to identify and support undergraduate students and alumni to become strong candidates for scholarships.