Umhlanga Rotary Conservation Bursary for 2010

The FitzPatrick Institute and the University of Cape Town would like to sincerely thank the Rotary Club of Umhlanga for the initiation of the bursary support for a student in the Conservation Biology Masters Course at the Institute. It is with much appreciation and excitement that this partnership is started in the 50th Anniversary year of the Institute. We are delighted to inform the Rotary Club that we have 12 highly suitable students registered for the course this year. This in particular made it very challenging to choose candidates for the Rotary bursary. The field was narrowed to five South African students and from these, three applied for the Rotary bursary. After careful consideration it was again a close race before Gina Louw was finally agreed upon as the Umhlanga Rotary Conservation Bursary holder for 2010.

Gina matriculated from the Fairmont High School in Cape Town where she was Deputy Head Girl, Matric Dance Committee hostess, hockey captain and achieved full colours for academic and sports achievements. She graduated with a BSc with distinction in 2008 and her BSc Honours project last year at UCT was on the effects of climate change on the Common Swift in southern Africa. She was included on the Dean’s Merit list in 2007 and was invited to be a member of the Golden Key Society within the Science Faculty in 2008.

We wish Gina all the very best for her studies during the Conservation Biology Masters Course and have no doubt that she will be a proud and worthy holder of the Umhlanga Rotary Conservation Bursary. She will present the achievements of the course to the Rotary Club of Umhlanga during the first quarter of 2011.

Quote from Gina “In light of all the threats that our continent faces, it would be my ultimate future priority to know that I am participating in making a difference”.

Image: (from left to right) Gina Louw, Umhlanga Rotary Conservation Bursary Student and Prof. Phil Hockey, Director of the FitzPatrick Institute.