Introducing the 2020 cohort of Ocean Womxn

The Department of Oceanography at the University of Cape Town (UCT) is pleased to announce the inaugural cohort of Ocean Womxn.

 Announced in October 2019, the 2020 cohort includes five black African womxn recognised for their passion for scientific research, leadership experience and potential to become future leaders in their field.

 “The 2020 cohort is an incredibly impressive group of womxn. They are the future leaders in oceanography and atmospheric sciences, and I expect big things from them in their future careers,” says Dr Katye Altieri, a Lecturer in the UCT Oceanography Department.

 Altieri is one of four womxn leading the programme, including Isabelle Ansorge, Sarah Fawcett and Juliet Hermes. It is supported by the UCT's Advancing Womxn Initiative championed by the office of the Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng.

 Under the category “For Womxn by Womxn: conducting research in a field in which womxn are in short supply”, it provides talented black womxn students with financial support, research opportunities and career development in the field of ocean sciences.

 “I'm looking forward to getting the mentoring and leadership activities started. We already have a few inspiring black womxn scientists lined up to meet with and network with the cohort,” says Altieri.

 Opportunities like this are part of what attracted these womxn to the programme. “I am excited to interact with fellow womxn in the ocean sciences and learn about their research, the challenges they face and what they are doing to overcome those challenges,” says Wanjiru Thoithi, a master’s student in the cohort.

 Building a network of womxn in science is something the womxn also look forward to. “I am eager to share in what I have gained with womxn next to me, in science, and those who are on their way into science,” says fellow cohort member and master’s student Thando Mazomba.

 PhD student and cohort member Kolisa Sinyanya agrees. She says that the opportunity to connect with black womxn in the field is rare.

 “Oceanography lacks both the diversity of womxn and of black people, therefore, black womxn are a rare find. I look forward to the experience of being part of the first black womxn cohort in the history of oceanography at UCT,” she says.

 Ocean Womxn is currently accepting postgraduate applications for 2020 and will be supporting cohorts over the next five years. The hope is to transform UCT's Department of Oceanography to represent more talented black womxn.

 “I would like to see this project grow in leaps and bounds so it can continue on its path to include as many womxn in science as it possibly can. And I hope to contribute to this objective,” says Mazomba.