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Our World-Underwater Scholar
from Scuba Diver #61
The Our World-Underwater Scholarship Society is a non-profit, educational organisation whose mission is to promote educational activities associated with the underwater world. It has offered scholarships for over 35 years. owuscholarship.org
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Since 1974, the Our World-Underwater Scholarship
Society has provided first-hand experiences in underwater-related disciplines to young people considering careers in the underwater world, and each year, the Society selects three Scholars – one each from North America, Europe, and Australasia.
As long-time readers of Scuba Diver will know, as we follow the UK Our World-Underwater Scholar via their blog, each Scholar, working closely with leaders in the marinerelated fields, spends a year immersed in a wide variety of hands-on activities that further the Scholar’s knowledge and experience of the underwater realm.
The range of experiences may include active participation in field studies, underwater research, scientific expeditions, laboratory assignments, equipment testing and design, photographic instruction, and other specialized assignments. The Our World-Underwater Scholars receive funding for travel and living expenses during their Scholarship year.
The 2022 Scholars of the Our WorldUnderwater Scholarship Society are: • Rosie Poirier – 2022 North American Scholar • Hannah Douglas – 2022 European Scholar • Amelia Mannering – 2022 Australasian Scholar
For Rosie, the OWUSS Scholarship is a dream opportunity to learn about marine conservation on a global scale. Through this scholarship, she plans to explore the fields of fisheries management, Marine Protected Area (MPA) development, and community engagement. Rosie plans to use the OWUSS scholarship year to gather the most-effective tools she can to pursue a career in ocean conservation.
Hannah’s objectives after university are to continue studying life in the ocean while broadening her knowledge of economics and politics by delving into the world of resource management and legislation. She holds the firm belief that you should, ‘Be the change you wish to see’, and for Hannah, that is a global awakening to the beauty of our oceans and a wave of policy change to protect it. Millie was originally selected as the 2021 Australasian Scholar, however due to COVID-related travel restrictions in the region during the early part of her scholarship, the decision was made to defer her scholarship until 2022. During her deferment, Millie has been working as a scientific diver in a range of projects throughout New Zealand, including for the University of Otago and the Department of Conservation. A highlight for her has been working in remote areas, such as Fiordland, where she monitors and controls the spread of the invasive seaweed, Undaria pinnatifida. Millie also joined an expedition to the Subantarctic Islands of New Zealand as the Heritage Expeditions True Young Explorer. She aims to help raise the profile of the islands, advocate for the protection of the threatened species that inhabit them, as well as other wild places across the planet. This is a focus Millie is looking forward to pursuing throughout her upcoming year as the 2022 Australasian Scholar. n
