Victoria’s David Bullock, Emily Sutton and Joshua Brian are the recipients of William Georgetti Scholarships totalling $68,000. Three of the eight scholarships awarded this year went to Victoria University.
Administered by Universities New Zealand, the scholarships encourage postgraduate study or research in a field of importance to New Zealand's social, cultural or economic development.
David Bullock, who graduated with a double degree in Law and Economics in 2012, has been awarded $38,000 for one year to study a Master of Laws at Yale Law School.
“My studies will be focused on environmental law and policy as well as constitutional law,” says David. “I’ve always dreamed of going to Yale. It’s a very prestigious school that only admits a limited number of students.”
Yale Law has been ranked the United States number one law school by US News and World Report every year since 1994. David begins his study there in August.
Emily Sutton, who receives $10,000 over one year, will also travel to the United States to complete her PhD at the University of California, Berkeley.
“This scholarship is a tremendous help to funding my studies. My PhD is in English, and my thesis will give a critical analysis of gay men in literature, and the specific form of the gay novel”.
Emily will begin her PhD in August, after she receives a Master of Arts in English Literature at a Victoria graduation ceremony this month.
Marine Biology student Joshua Brian has been granted $20,000 over two years for his Master’s research on coral reefs.
“I will look at the biodiversity of the symbionts of coral reefs, in particular, whether symbiotic diversity can make coral more adaptable to climate change,” says Josh. “I’m very excited to receive this scholarship, and am using it to fund my studies completely which is a huge help.”
Josh will continue his studies at Victoria under the supervision of Professor Simon Davy.
Victoria’s Vice-Provost (Research) Professor Kate McGrath says receiving three scholarships of the standing of William Georgetti Scholarships is an outstanding achievement for Victoria.
“It’s a great opportunity for the three students to progress their research, and demonstrates why Victoria is rated the top university in New Zealand for research quality.”
The scholarships were established by the late William Georgetti, a Hawkes Bay farmer, who wanted to create opportunities for the “best brains” to benefit from his bequest.