Whittaker Foundation offer scholarship to 15 female students at KNUST

Fifteen female students of physics at KNUST receives scholarship from the Whittaker Foundation.

In its quest to promote female education, especially, in the field of Ghana, and the desire to Physics in ease the financial burden of students, the K.C Whittaker Endowment Fund is, yet again, offering scholarship to 15 female Physics students of the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST).

The scholarship scheme was instituted to greatly motivate the students to strive for academic excellence.

It is in fulfilment of the wishes of the late Mrs. Rose Whittaker, who directed, in her Will, the original trustees should institute an education fund, to be known as the Dr. K. C. Whittaker Endowment Fund in honour of her late husband to annually offer support to one female student pursuing Physics degree at KNUST.

Trustees of Mrs. Rose Whittaker’s estate established the Endowment Fund in 1997, and have since 1998 granted scholarships to a female undergraduate for each of the four levels every year.

It was later extended to MPHIL students, based on their academic performance. Since 1998, the fund has granted scholarships  to over 135 students.

The trust, currently, offers scholarships to fifteen (15) female Physics and Meteorology students annually. Trustees envisage increasing the number in the not too distant future.

The foundation is hoping to increase the number of beneficiaries in the years ahead to bridge gap between male and females in the area of study.

A trustee of the scholarship, Solomon Quanzy says the fund will continue to provide assistance to students.

 "I don’t believe we are stopping at fifteen, depending on our funds we will expand this scholarship. It started with one and it is fifteen now”, he said.

The foundation presented a cheque of Ghs 30,000.00 to the awardees and also donated cheque of Ghs 10,000.00 for renovation works of the conference room of the Physics department.

Provost of KNUST College of Science, Prof. Ibok Oduro says helping more women rise in science boosts their confidence to pursue a career in science.

“If we really want women to climb up in science then a research support fund should be created for them. It is very expensive and that alone discourages these women,” she said.

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