UR duo first to win prestigious award in same year

October 8, 2018

Spider Pride

As our students are gearing up for midterms, two seniors have a reason to take a break and celebrate. Out of only six nationwide recipients, Colby Prokop and Andrew Reeder, both ’19, have won the Distinguished Student Research Award from The School for Field Studies (SFS). As if that weren’t enough, this is the first time two students from the same university have received the award in the same year.

The awards recognize complex research performed while studying abroad. Both majoring in environmental studies, Prokop’s team was in Australia developing a non-invasive tool to identify the threatened Northern Yellow-Bellied Glider (aka marsupial) and Reeder and his partner worked collaboratively in Cambodia on policies regarding climate change migration. The best part? They said their findings are making an ecological and environmental impact in their respective abroad communities. 

“In my five years of experience mentoring undergraduate research, this piece of research is outstanding for its excellent quality,” said Georgina Rivera, Reeder’s research advisor.

We are so proud of Colby and Andrew for representing UR. Congratulations to both of them for their prestigious awards!