KNUST Female physics students benefit from Dr. K. C. Whittaker Endowment Fund
Eighteen female physics students at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have received financial support from the Dr. K. C. Whittaker Endowment Fund.
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The beneficiaries include 16 undergraduates and two postgraduate students, each receiving GH₵3,000.
The Endowment Fund was established by the late Dr. Rose Whittaker, wife of the first Dean of the College of Science, Dr. Kenneth Charles Whittaker. Her goal was to alleviate the fears of female students and provide them with financial support to pursue Physics at KNUST.
Since its inception in 1998, this act of generosity has enabled numerous women to achieve significant academic success. Many of them have gone on to further their education globally, with some currently teaching in public and private universities across Ghana.
To date, the K. C. Whittaker Foundation has supported over 300 outstanding female Physics students at KNUST.
Event
Speaking at a brief ceremony held at KNUST on Tuesday, August 27, 2024, the Provost of the College of Science, Professor Leonard Kofitse Amekudzi, highlighted the impact of the support programme, noting that it has led to the appointment of female Physics lecturers at the university for the first time.
“When I joined this department, there were no female lecturers, but as a result of these awards, we now have female lecturers in the Physics department. Not only that, some award beneficiaries are excelling at institutions like the Ghana Atomic Energy Commission and the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR),” he said.
“This support is gradually increasing the interest of females in Physics. It’s no surprise that females are now excelling in class,” he added, commending the Trustees for annually supporting needy but brilliant female students.
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Continuous support
Speaking on behalf of the Trustees, Irene Schandorf emphasized that the primary motivation behind establishing the fund was to support women in the field of Physics.
Madam Schandorf, a board member of the Foundation, presented the cheques to the beneficiaries on behalf of their Board Chairman, Eric Inkumsah. Other members of the Fund, including Solomon Quanzie and Ernest Prah, were also present at the ceremony.