The Otto Graf and Jack Meiland Scholarships honor the late Professors Otto Graf, who served as director of the Honors Program for eighteen years, and Jack Meiland, who championed interdisciplinarity in the Honors curriculum. They are given to rising seniors - students whose educational careers and aspirations embody our engaged liberal arts pedagogical philosophy. In application essays and interviews, applicants are asked to reflect upon the depth of their specialization in their honors major, the breadth of intellectual curiosity displayed in their elective courses, the demonstrated leadership potential and commitment to improving the lives of others in their co-curricular activities. Many of our Graf and Meiland Scholars go on to become nominees for top national awards such as the Rhodes Scholarship to Oxford.

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Stephanie Smith, from Ann Arbor, MI is double majoring in Biopsychology, Cognition, and Neuroscience, and Program in the Environment. She has a minor in Community Action and Social Change. Stephanie is completing an Honors Engaged Liberal Arts project entitled: What’s Next for Our Water? dedicated to improving education about water conservation issues in Ann Arbor. She has experience as an undergraduate researcher in the laboratory of Dr. Soo Eun Chang, Ph.D., and conducting social sciences field research through the School for International Training. During her junior year, she has had the privilege to study under professors in Vietnam, South Africa, Argentina, Morocco, Nepal, and Ecuador. Stephanie will begin a Master’s of Science degree during her final year of undergraduate studies through the UM SEAS Accelerated Master’s Degree program. After graduation, she plans to pursue a career in environmental public health with a focus in education and policy. When she isn't traveling or conducting research, Stephanie enjoys teaching youth about conservation through her work as a backpacking guide and docent at UM’s Museum of Natural History.

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Elizabeth Tolrud from Owosso, MI is a triple-major in Molecular, Cellular, and Developmental Biology; Ecology, Evolution, and Biodiversity; and Program in the Environment. She works as an undergraduate researcher in the Colacino Laboratory and is currently completing an Honors thesis studying the impacts of diethyl phthalate and monoethyl phthalate on neurodevelopment. Elizabeth also serves as the Co-President of the Citizens’ Climate Lobby at the University of Michigan, a member of the Coalition Team for Student Sustainability Coalition, and a founding member of the Student Carbon Neutrality Network. In 2023, she was selected as an Udall Scholar. Elizabeth is also proud to be a Bruce and Jackie Cook Scholar. After graduating, she plans to pursue a Ph.D. in Environmental Toxicology.

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Elizabeth (Ellie) White is from Northville, Mi. Ellie is a double major in Chemistry and English Language and Literature. Ellie plans to complete her Honors thesis in English Landuage and Literature, studying the violence of chemistry through narratives of Agent Orange and the Vietnam War. With this, she hopes to re-contextualize the impact of modern science and dissect its position among diverse geographical spheres and populations. On campus, Ellie is a member of the Wolfe Lab, where she conducts research in synthetic and organometallic chemistry. After graduation, Ellie plans on completing her Masters in Chemistry and then attending law school.

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