Alumni awarded Gates Cambridge Scholarships

UCT graduates Nicholas Rice and Alice Meyer have been awarded 2013 Gates Cambridge Scholarships - considered one of the world's most prestigious scholarships.

In September, Rice and Meyer will jet off to the University of Cambridge to pursue full-time postgraduate studies.

The scholarship focuses on academic excellence and is highly competitive. Applicants need to show leadership capacity and a commitment to improving the lives of others. Out of 3 500 applicants, 90 were selected, 39 from the US and 51 from around the world.

Rice said: "Doing a bit more reading on the Gates website I was thrilled to discover that a defining characteristic of the scholarship was a commitment to improving the lives of others - something I have long believed very important for those privileged enough to have advanced education. I then knew I had to give it a shot."

Rice is a 2012 graduate of the Department of Chemical Engineering and Meyer graduated from UCT in 2010 with an honours degree in English Literature. She plans to read for a PhD in English, while Rice will pursue an MPhil in Advanced Chemical Engineering.

Rice currently works as a research assistant for HySA/Catalysis in the Centre for Catalysis Research in the Department of Chemical Engineering.

"I am hoping that this programme will increase my flexibility and broaden my interdisciplinary knowledge as an engineer one day, working within the dynamic field of alternative energy research."