Alyssa Wentzel, an undergraduate student at the University of Delaware, is the first to admit that growing up, they didn’t think that much about the environment. Raised in Douglassville, Pennsylvania, Wentzel saw more smokestacks and landfills than aquatic ecosystems or marine life. 

It wasn’t until junior year of high school that Wentzel began to gain an appreciation for the environment when they participated in their high school’s marine biosystem program, through which the school grew its own coral and raised its own fish. That experience solidified for Wentzel that they wanted to become a marine scientist and aid in marine conservation efforts. 

At UD, Wentzel is an honors student double majoring in public policy in the Joseph R. Biden, Jr. School of Public Policy and Administration and marine science in the College of Earth, Ocean and Environment. 

Wentzel recently received an honorable mention for the Udall Scholarship, a highly competitive scholarship program that identifies future leaders in environmental, Tribal public policy and health care fields. The scholarship is sponsored by the Udall Foundation, established by the U.S. Congress in 1992 as an independent executive branch agency to honor Morris K. Udall's lasting impact on the nation's environment, public lands and natural resources, as well as his support of the rights and self-governance of American Indians and Alaska Natives.

The scholarship includes a rigorous application process, and Wentzel is the first UD student to gain recognition from the Udall Foundation since 2003. Wentzel said they wanted to apply for the scholarship because of its emphasis on the environment. 

“The application placed a heavy emphasis on public service because Udall's legacy was in serving people,” said Wentzel, who uses they/them pronouns. “They encourage applicants to have leadership experience, to have public service research and to be a well-rounded figure that emphasizes your commitment to the environment or to Native American policy or tribal policy.” 

Applying for the scholarship made sense to Wentzel because of their commitment to environmental justice in the marine sciences. 

“I became interested in environmental justice when I came to the University of Delaware,” they said. “Before that, I really knew nothing about climate justice, social justice or environmental justice. I got involved with Delaware Concerned Residents for Environmental Justice outside of UD and it opened my eyes to the different disparities that are happening not only in Delaware but in other communities as well. I wanted to focus my work on more public service and advocating for those in underserved communities.” 

Wentzel is particularly interested in looking at how underserved communities in coastal areas are impacted by climate change. 

“I want to recognize their needs and uplift their voices in terms of the climate crisis,” Wentzel said. “For example, my family is originally from the Philippines, so in the future, I really want to emphasize and focus on how island nations are susceptible to climate change, ocean related disasters and pollution.” 

Wentzel’s future plans include entering a doctorate program, preferably in marine conservation, to conduct research and eventually becoming a professor. They see teaching as a public service, a way to foster a new generation of marine scientists and emphasize empowerment for students. 

“I want to encourage and form a new generation of marine scientists, particularly underrepresented students, to feel that they belong in the marine science field,” Wentzel said. “It's mind boggling how we're still not a diverse field — not even in terms of racial identity but in ethnicity, age and gender expression. I feel like we need to do a better job of that as a marine science field. I hope in the future I can use representation as an empowerment tool.”  

With regard to research, Wentzel works with Rebecca Nixon, assistant professor in the Department of Geography and Spatial Sciences, and her lab as part of a project that examines the experiences of LGBTQIA-plus people of color and the intersectionality of climate justice. 

Wentzel has also conducted research on cohesive sediments and sediment transportation at the Center for Applied Coastal Research under the guidance of Tian-Jian Hsu, professor in the Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering and the Director of the Center for Applied Coastal Research, and conducted research on tidelines and microplastic aggregation under the guidance of Jonathan Cohen, professor in the School of Marine Science and Policy. 

Wentzel, a 2023 National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Hollings Scholar and one of UD’s endorsed candidates for the Harry S. Truman Scholarship, has plenty to focus on both at UD and with their involvement in organizations outside of the University. 

At UD, Wentzel is a Climate Scholar, founded and serves as co-president for the Aquatic Project registered student organization, and is vice president of Sunrise Newark, a student organization affiliated with the larger Sunrise Movement — an initiative working to reverse climate change and create jobs in the process. 

Outside of UD, they are involved with the Delaware Concerned Residents for Environmental Justice, which they connect with weekly. 

As for how they balance all these activities with their schoolwork, Wentzel said it’s beneficial to remember that education comes both inside and outside of the classroom.  

“I believe we need to act now with regard to climate change and we need to emphasize people's rights in these underserved communities that are impacted by climate change and that aligns with my values,” Wentzel said. “I want to emphasize the need to amplify community member's voices and to form a more inclusive climate justice movement. It is going to take everyone to fight against the climate crisis. Through my research, service, and commitment to the environment and ocean, I hope I can be part of this movement and enact change."