Seven undergraduate students were recognized by the University for their academic achievement. This year’s George B. Wood Legacy Sophomore Prize, awarded each year to members of the junior class in recognition of exceptional academic achievement during their sophomore years, was awarded to Claire Wayner.

Wayner was one of two recipients of the prize for her meaningful work related to energy and the environment. She is pursuing a degree in civil and environmental engineering and a certificate through the Andlinger Center’s Program in Sustainable Energy, in addition to certificates in environmental studies and urban studies. She is conducting research with Eric Larson in support of the Net-Zero America Project (NZAP), which aims to outline pathways to decarbonize the United States by 2050 and is part of the center’s Rapid Switch initiative. Larson is a senior research engineer and head of the Andlinger Center’s Energy Systems Analysis Group.

Wayner was also among 55 college sophomores and juniors nationwide named 2020 Udall Scholars by the Udall Foundation for her work related to the environment. Over the summer she studied policy avenues for battery storage in South Asia at the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) through Princeton’s Scholars in the Nation’s Service Initiative.

The full list of this year’s undergraduate prize recipients can be found on the Princeton University website.