OWSD Zimbabwe National Chapter Presents "Personal Investment for Dynamic Impact in STEM", a WhatsApp talk by Tonderai Ruwa

What fascinated me is that only 5% of microorganisms are harmful, and the rest are beneficiary.

OWSD fellowship represents a real empowering difference in my life and career

When you are following your passion, people will always see what you are doing. People will see that you are doing something different, and they will help you.

In today’s scientific environment, in which most PhD scientists concentrate on a single specific discipline, I might shift toward a more systemic view to approach the challenge in infectious diseases.

The main problem in radiotherapy is that most cancer cells are resistant to radiation.

All this has broadened my knowledge for this domain of science, gave me an open mind and also allowed me to learn many things.

Dr. Shammi's research will help to fill a crucial gap in the the global understanding of carbon dynamics and greenhouse gas emissions by providing data on one of the world’s largest river systems.

By creating links between food research and industry, she hopes to enhance food security both in Ghana and in Africa as a whole.

When I am seeing an impact, that’s what makes me as a scientist feel an achievement

“Ten to fifteen years from now, people, not only in Kenya but in the African continent, will switch to magnetic refrigeration”

The OWSD award helped me not only to become the researcher I am today, but also to become a leader in research.

What has surprised me is the way technology is emerging and affecting the current state of research. We are encountering a fourth industrial revolution that entails advances in computing power, quantum computing and artificial intelligence, which has already been shown to alter the way we conduct research.

OWSD has provided tremendous support in shaping my career as a researcher, science ambassador, role model for women scientists and a "think high" human being.

I intend to disperse my achieved knowledge as one of the leading researchers in my country in the domain of microbial biotechnology, to support sustainable and prosperous agriculture.

" I can boldly declare that OWSD rewarded my brilliance thus giving me recognition and confidence in my professional arena and placed me in national and international scientific communities.”

Winning this award opened many doors for me. It has led to success in acquiring local funding.

I’ve been working on reptile and amphibian biodiversity for 10 years, and I know that there are still new species that need to be described.

I want to be in the boardroom. I want to be part of the policy mechanism. I want my influence to go higher than the classroom.