Erin Roxburgh being presented The Simon Chan Science Scholarship by Cyrus Richardson, Chairman of the Selwyn College (Auckland) Foundation Trust

This year at Senior Prizegiving, a prestigious new award, the Simon Chan Science Scholarship, was presented for the first time. The winner was Erin Roxburgh, our Dux and Sportswoman of the Year and a very deserving candidate.

The award was presented to Erin by Cyrus Richardson, Chairman of the Selwyn College (Auckland) Foundation Trust, which manages the Scholarship.  It has been set up in memory of one of Selwyn’s most accomplished world-leading science alumni, Simon Chan, and his achievements.

Simon was an Associate Professor of Plant Biology at the University of California Davis.  His laboratory work led to breakthroughs in plant breeding, making it possible to breed with genes from only one parent; without the complications of inter-generational inbreeding. Simon very sadly passed away in 2012 at the age of 38 from a liver-related illness.

The scholarship will pay $8000 towards Erin’s costs of study towards a career in Science.