Published by the Communications and Development Department

20 December 2004

Nelson student David Jolly is over the moon with the news he is the University of Canterbury Aurora Scholarship in Astronomy recipient for 2005.

The 18-year-old Nayland College student applied for the scholarship in September by submitting an essay outlining his reasons for wanting to study astronomy.

Those judging the applications were impressed by the way David expressed his passion to pursue astronomy as a career.

David says when he found out last month that he had been awarded the scholarship he was very excited.

“I might have yelled a bit when I found out,” the teenager said.

It was a family holiday to the United States when he was 11 that sparked his interest in astronomy.

“We went to Cape Canaveral in Florida and saw parts of the international Space Station being built. Being there and physically seeing the progress in astronomy was amazing.”

Since then David says he has been reading widely about the science and can’t think of a more exciting profession.

“It is such an important science. It teaches us about our origins. It is a possibility that mankind may need to evacuate earth due to threats such as global warming and large impacts, and astronomy helps with this. This is a science that I would be grateful to be a part of.”

As Aurora scholar David will receive $5000 for an international research opportunity at an overseas observatory, $4000 towards his first-year tuition fees, and $1000 to conduct a research project at Canterbury’s Mt John University Observatory in Tekapo.

A departmental research scientist or postgraduate student will act as a mentor to David, engaging him as a research assistant and advising him how to get maximum benefit from the grant.

For further information please contact:
Maria Hand
Communications Officer
University of Canterbury
Tel: +64 3 364 2910
Fax: +64 3 364 2679
maria.hand@canterbury.ac.nz