23 Female Physics Students at KNUST Receive Support from Dr. K. C. Whittaker Endowment Fund
Twenty-three female students pursuing Physics at the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) have received financial support from the Dr. K. C. Whittaker Endowment Fund to aid their academic pursuits.
The beneficiaries, made up of both undergraduate and postgraduate students, each received GH₵3,000 to help alleviate their financial burdens. The fund was established by the late Dr. Rose Whittaker, wife of Dr. Kenneth Charles Whittaker, the first Dean of the College of Science at KNUST. Her vision was to encourage more women to venture into Physics and to support those facing financial challenges.
Since its inception in 1998, the endowment fund has supported over 300 outstanding female Physics students, many of whom have gone on to pursue advanced studies abroad or taken up teaching positions in universities across Ghana.
Speaking at a brief ceremony held on campus over the weekend, Professor Leonard Kofitse Amekudzi, Provost of the College of Science, commended the initiative for its sustained impact on promoting gender balance and academic excellence in Physics.
“The support is gradually increasing the interest of females in Physics. It’s no surprise that females are now excelling in class,” he said, praising the trustees for their dedication to supporting brilliant but financially challenged students.
Professor Amekudzi highlighted the impressive growth of the fund, noting that it initially catered to just one student 28 years ago but now benefits more than 20 annually. He attributed this progress to the consistency and commitment of the Board of Trustees.
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The event was attended by members of the Board of Trustees and faculty from the Department of Physics, who expressed pride in the positive transformation the fund has brought to the department over the years.
One of the beneficiaries, Wilhelmina Sharon Jones, who has benefited from the scholarship four times, described the initiative as life-changing.
“But for this support scheme, there was no way I could have furthered my education,” she said, expressing heartfelt gratitude to the trustees. She further encouraged young women to pursue Physics without fear, noting that “Physics is not as difficult as we have always been told to believe. All one needs is to apply the basic principles.”
On behalf of her colleagues, she thanked the trustees for sustaining what she called a “life-changing opportunity” for women in science.
The Dr. K. C. Whittaker Endowment Fund continues to play a vital role in empowering female students at KNUST, helping bridge the gender gap in science and inspiring a new generation of women in Physics.
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