Legacy Gift Supports SDG Research

An "unexpected and substantial legacy gift" has left Canada's University of Victoria $2.5 million to fund two graduate student awards and $500,000 in research grants for post-doctoral fellows.

The gift from the estate of renowned philanthropist MargaretMarmie Hess who died in 2016 at the age of 98 represents her "lesser-known strong personal interest" in earth and ocean sciences, UVic says in a press release.

UVic's research strengths in these areas contributed to it ranking as one of the top universities in the world for advancing and living up to the commitments of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, particularly in the area of climate action, life below water, and life on land.

The first two recipients of the Dr. Marmie Hess Perkins Fellowships in Earth, Ocean, Astronomy, and Environmental Sciences were Shoshanah Byrne-Mamahit and Daisy Buzzoni.

"This is an especially meaningful award for me as someone who is both an immigrant to Canada, trying to familiarize myself with Canadian history and culture, and a passionate advocate for the advancement of women in STEM," says Byrne-Mamahit, who plans to finish her master's degree debt-free and start her PhD in physics and astronomy in January 2023.



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