A Western Kentucky University student, and a Greenville native, has been named a 2025 Udall Undergraduate Scholar—the first WKU student to win it since 2010.
Mykah Carden is also the only student from Kentucky to be named to the award this year—the daughter of Heather Carden, she is a senior from Greenville who is studying Geology in WKU’s Department of Earth, Environmental and Atmospheric Sciences. Mykah has presented her research at numerous national and regional conferences, including the National Speleological Society and the Kentucky Speleological Society, and has written and won research grants to help fund her independent research projects.
And she’s no stranger to prestigious awards, having also been named a Goldwater Scholar in 2024. After graduating from WKU, Mykah plans to continue her education by pursuing her Ph.D. in Geology.
The Udall Undergraduate Scholarship was founded in 1992 to honor Morris K. Udall and Stewart Udall’s legacies of positive impact on the environment, public lands, and natural resources, as well as their support of the rights of Alaskan and Native Americans.
Awards are given to students studying and intending to pursue careers in environmental studies, Tribal public policy, and health care.