Eugene B Dowdle Award Winners

Congratulations to the winners of the Best PhD Presentation Eugene B Dowdle Awards. A joint 1st was given to Alisha Chetty and Nada Abdel Aziz. While Agano Kiravu took 2nd prize and 3rd prize went to Cheleka Mpande.

The Eugene B Dowdle Awards saw all the Division of Immunology PhD students competing for best presentation on their PhD research. The presentations were 8 minutes with 5 minutes for questions. External moderators kept very strict time limits and oversaw the presentations. While five judges selected from other departments scored the PhD candidates and maintained fairness through the competition.

The Eugene B Dowdle awards were the first of their kind made possible by the very first Head of Department for the Division of Immunology; Eugene B Dowdle. Prof Dowdle's daughter, Susan Dowdle, now living in Australia, was included as she signed the certificates given to each winner.

A total of 15 students presented on their work all competing for the cash prizes of R15,000 for 1st, R7,000 for 2nd and R3,500 for 3rd place. The presentations took place during May and June with the winners announced on the 18th July 2019.

Head of Department Clive Gray and 1st Prize Alisha Chetty, 2nd Prize Agano Kiravu and 3rd Prize Cheleka Mpande

The ceremony was held in the Wolfson Pavilion where Alisha Chetty and Nada Abdel Aziz each won the first prize of R15,000. Nada was unable to be at the ceremony, so a friend accepted her certificate. Agano Kiravu took the 2nd prize of R7,000 and Cheleka Mpande scooped 3rd place and R3,500.

The ceremony was followed by a finger lunch in the IDM foyer with many attending from the Division to congratulate the winners.

Article by Bonamy Holtak