By Whitney Baxter
Ashley Hipnar remembers walking on Iowa State University’s campus as a middle and high school student during class trips to Parks Library for National History Day. For the past four years, she has walked some of those same paths, leaving her mark on campus as a college student.
Hipnar, a graduating senior in environmental science and global resource systems from Council Bluffs, Iowa, is one of two recipients of the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Student Council Academic Achievement Award. The award recognizes Hipnar’s outstanding academic record at Iowa State based on her grades, scholarships and honors received. She will be graduating summa cum laude in May.
Hipnar’s collegiate experience has included involvement in the varsity marching band color guard, the Honors Program and STEM Scholars. The latter connected her to a summer undergraduate research fellowship program offered by Yale University. Working remotely due to COVID-19 restrictions in place at the time, Hipnar researched agricultural nitrogen uses and their influences on greenhouse gas emissions.
She’s also had several international experiences, including taking Spanish and environmental science courses in Costa Rica, volunteering in Ecuador to conduct proactive sustainability strategies to protect endangered marine turtles, and completing a summer internship in Kosovo where she worked to improve STEM opportunities for women.
“It’s been nice to dip my toes into different areas so I can feel secure about my decision to study climate change using law and regulation,” Hipnar said.
With plans to attend law school in New York, Hipnar got a head start on those climate change studies through her Honors Program capstone research project.
Hipnar worked with Monica Haddad, professor of community and regional planning, looking at what city governments in the northern and southern hemispheres do to include justice in climate change. Haddad said it is evident that Hipnar “is passionate about the environment” and knows how worldwide environmental issues impact climate change.
“The fact that Ashley decided to go to law school because of her experience researching climate justice makes me happy,” Haddad said. “It inspires me to continue to dedicate time to undergraduate research at Iowa State.”
When asked how she’s maintained such a high academic standing amid her busy schedule, Hipnar said a big part of it has been overcoming her fear of asking questions. She said Haddad would always end their meetings by asking, “What questions do you have?” offering an invitation to bring up anything that needed further clarification.
“Sometimes people may think asking questions means you don’t know something and you’re a failure, but you need to realize that asking questions helps you learn and get better,” Hipnar said.
Reflecting on her pre-college visits to campus, Hipnar is proud of how far she has come. “I feel as if I’ve left my mark on campus, and my time here and all the experiences that I’ve had have allowed me to grow.”