Change Agent
Abril Hunter uses her research background to translate environmental science into public policy
When Abril Hunter was named a Truman Scholar this spring, it was the latest in a lengthy list of accolades the rising senior has earned since first arriving at in 2019.
The scholarship recognizes those who carry the legacy of President Harry S. Truman鈥檚 dedication to public service and is the nation鈥檚 most prestigious fellowship for undergraduates interested in serving at local, state or federal levels. Hunter, an environmental science and public policy major, stands among 58 Truman Scholars chosen from a pool of 705 candidates nominated by 275 colleges and universities across the country who were chosen based on academic success, leadership accomplishments, and their potential for becoming change agents postgraduation.
鈥淚 am in awe to say that I am a 2022 Truman scholar,鈥 said Hunter, who, in addition to her major through the , is also pursuing minors in urban and regional planning and social welfare.
Hunter鈥檚 desire to serve crystalized while she was in high school and heard about the lead-contaminated water in Flint, Michigan. Appalled to learn that the public-health crisis was happening just an eight-hour drive from her home in Belleville, Illinois, Hunter wanted to make a change.
鈥淧eople are literally dying because of environmental injustices,鈥 Hunter said. 鈥淓nvironmental science and helping people shouldn鈥檛 be politicized topics, or even up for debate.鈥
For her high school science fair, Hunter researched how lead pollutes water systems through biosorption and engineered bio-sand filters as a pollution remediation method. She presented this research at the International Science and Engineering Fair in Pittsburgh and the NAACP鈥檚 Afro-Academic, Cultural, Technological and Scientific Olympics in Detroit.
鈥淚 learned so much about the community impacted by the Flint water crisis through presenting my research in the same area,鈥 Hunter said. 鈥淭hat passion for Flint shaped me, and it characterized my growth as a leader and a scientist.鈥
Hunter was drawn to FSU for its unique major in environmental science and policy, as well as the university鈥檚 capital city location, allowing her a front-row seat to the application of scientific research to public policy decisions. Additionally, she was one of 30 prospective first-year students to be selected in 2019 as a , the university鈥檚 preeminent undergraduate scholarship for four years of study.
Associate dean of the and director of FSU鈥檚 Craig Filar first met Hunter when she applied for, and was accepted into, the Presidential Scholar scholarship, for which he is the program director.
鈥淎bril鈥檚 passion for battling the systemic issues around racial inequity and the environment are rooted in her personal experiences, and she has honed her skills through years of meticulous, dedicated, and innovative service and research,鈥 Filar said. 鈥淪he will champion these causes throughout her career.鈥
Hunter鈥檚 more recent research projects explore the intersections of environmental science and public action. In 2020, she analyzed recycling messaging鈥檚 effectiveness across Florida through FSU鈥檚 . She also investigated environmental science communication as an undergraduate research fellow at Washington University鈥檚 Tyson Research Center, in St. Louis, Missouri.
During her sophomore year, Hunter earned the Ernest F. Hollings Undergraduate Scholarship, distributed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration鈥檚 Office of Education. The scholarship includes two years of financial aid and a full-time, paid internship at a NOAA facility during the summer. She is currently a NOAA intern with the Virginia Institute of Marine Science, part of the College of William and Mary, and is studying signage at public-access sites within the area鈥檚 watershed.
鈥淚鈥檝e been part of research that reveals jarring realities like the disproportionate rates at which minorities are affected by environmental pollutants and toxins,鈥 Hunter said. 鈥淗owever, that messaging isn鈥檛 always clearly communicated to legislators and everyday citizens.鈥
Beyond her research, Hunter is currently serving her first term as the 2021-22 student senate president. According to Filar, Hunter鈥檚 leadership as student senate president has been crucial to the effective running of an organization that requires clarity, assurance, understanding and intelligence.
鈥淎bril is on the forefront of creating solutions at the intersection of two of the most pressing issues we are facing, climate change and racial inequity,鈥 Filar said. 鈥淪he approaches her work with intelligence, passion, and humility.鈥
Going forward, Hunter plans to attend graduate school for urban and regional planning, an issue she finds central to environmental science policy and community work, and ultimately pursue a career in environmental law and administration.
鈥淚 am forever grateful to FSU for the love it鈥檚 given me for leadership and public service,鈥 Hunter said.
Kendall Cooper is pursuing a double major in media/communication studies and English with a concentration in editing, writing and media. She is set to graduate in May 2023.