UM鈥檚 Latest Udall Scholar Dreams Big to Honor Late Father
By Skylar Rispens, UM News Service
MISSOULA – Since moving to Missoula to attend the 91次元, rising senior Hannah Hornyak took advantage of every opportunity to pursue their passion for wetland restoration while also building community.
That combination made Hornyak the ideal candidate to be named UM’s latest , a prestigious scholarship honoring the legacies of Morris K. Udall and Stewart L. Udall, whose careers impacted Native American self-governance, health care and the stewardship of public lands and natural resources.
“It’s pretty magical to step into exactly where I want to be,” said Hornyak about their undergraduate experiences so far. “I’m getting into this world, and I get to do something I love, which is to work with plants, insects and amphibians professionally, in a way that serves local ecosystems and my community.”
Hornyak, who is originally from Jamestown, New York, never set foot on campus before arriving at Knowles Hall their freshman year. Soon after settling in, they began helping out with the Ethnobotany Garden on campus but felt there might be opportunities to conduct fieldwork with amphibians.
Eventually, someone suggested Hornyak contact Erim Gómez, a UM assistant professor of wildlife biology with a particular interest in amphibians and freshwater ecosystems.
“I emailed him, and we met a week later,” said Hornyak, who is pursuing a degree in Environmental Science & Sustainability, with a concentration in Ecosystem Science and Restoration, and is a student at the Davidson Honors College. “Then before I knew it, we were surveying the ponds at Milltown State Park together. I’ve been doing that every spring since.”
During these surveys, Gómez and Hornyak look for Columbia spotted frog and long-toed salamander egg masses, and occasionally conduct trapping surveys where they’ve found fish, western painted turtles and aquatic insects. That information is shared with Montana Fish, Wildlife and Parks to create a long-term data set that informs the management of Milltown State Park.
“Hannah is a passionate and dedicated leader in the environment,” said Kylla Benes, director of UM’s Office of External Scholarships and Fellowships. “That’s evident in their great work on campus and in the Missoula community. UM’s commitment to supporting such place-based engagement, strong academic programs in the environment and the mentorship provided by our amazing faculty and staff are what help propel students like Hannah to such success.”
But Hornyak’s love for amphibians and wetlands started long before college. Growing up, Hornyak and their father would spend hours together looking for salamanders.
“It started with my Dad. He was the person who introduced me to salamanders and taught me that they are bioindicators,” Hornyak said. “Seeing this little creature on the ground, paired with this knowledge that they’re here because this ecosystem is healthy enough for them just really stuck with me.”
Unfortunately, Hornyak’s father Thomas John Hornyak died four years ago.
“Honestly there’s been a lot of grief because Dad isn’t here,” Hornyak said about learning they’d been named a Udall Scholar. “I don’t get to call him, and he was here for everything. I’ve just been wishing more than anything that I could call him or hug him. Because a big reason why I continue pushing so hard toward my future and to do good for my community is because of him.”
Hornyak spent five months this school year working on the application for the Udall Scholarship. They previously applied for the Udall Scholarship last year and were named an honorable mention. Benes encouraged Hornyak to try again and told them to not be afraid to dream big.
“I struggle to celebrate my achievements and acknowledge that I am making a difference,” Hornyak said. “Applying for the Udall been an opportunity to reflect on how I’m moving toward my future.”
After graduating, Hornyak hopes to stay in Missoula and wants to do restoration work with tribal governments, nongovernmental organizations and nonprofits that focus on maintaining high biodiversity and bolstering ecosystem resilience through reciprocal actions and holistic land stewardship.
“I am a salamander in the mud over here,” Hornyak said. “Sometimes I’m a stonefly in the riverbed. Missoula is my home.”
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Contact: Dave Kuntz, UM director of strategic communications, 406-243-5659, dave.kuntz@umontana.edu.