Josh Brian, 23, and Nat Walker-Hale, 22, from Victoria’s School of Biological Sciences, will travel to the United Kingdom to study for their PhDs.
Sir Woolf Fisher (1912-1975), who co-founded Fisher and Paykel, set up the Woolf Fisher Trust in 1960 as a way to recognise and reward academic excellence. The scholarship recipients are young New Zealanders who show academic brilliance and leadership potential, and whose integrity, vision and capacity for work is exceptional.
Josh Brian, who attended Wellington College before studying at Victoria, completed his undergraduate studies last year and is currently working toward a Master of Science in Marine Biology.
His research looks at the genetic diversity of cells that provide nutrients to coral reefs and how these might thrive in different temperatures, an area of interest due to climate change.
“Cambridge University has an excellent conservation programme, with amazing people that work there,” says Josh. “They have more conservation organisations than anywhere else in the world.”
Josh hopes that his PhD will build on his Master’s research, expanding to include work with small communities and helping to develop methods to preserve depleting natural resources.
His diverse academic background, in both science and the arts, has encouraged him to “see things from many different perspectives”.
“I felt really encouraged at Victoria to pursue a different array of courses, rather than just following one thing. As well as learning all the essential lab and research skills, I’ve also learned to think about things creatively, which I think is really important,” says Josh.
Nat Walker-Hale, who attended Raphael House Rudolf Steiner School in Lower Hutt, is currently studying towards a Bachelor of Science with Honours in Ecology and Biodiversity at Victoria.
Nat’s PhD studies at Cambridge will be a continuation of his Honours research investigating the evolution of traits in flowering plant species that are distinctive in plant evolution and fundamentally important for human health and nutrition.
“Plants, especially flowering plants, are so diverse—studying the diversity of plant life can provide a window into fundamental evolutionary processes and concepts,” says Nat.
“Through my studies at Victoria, I was able to explore all aspects of plant life and biology and connect with high quality researchers, developing fundamental skills in scientific research.”
After completing his PhD, Nat hopes to pursue a career in academia, eventually bringing his knowledge back home and applying it to New Zealand’s unique flora.
Sir Noel Robinson, the chairperson of the Woolf Fisher Trust, says, “We look for Woolf Fisher Scholars who will make a significant commitment to New Zealand and become leaders in their fields. We look forward to working with these outstanding scholars throughout their studies and to following their progress and contribution to New Zealand.”