Page 4 - Luce 2017

M ay Dunn Scholarships

A truly remarkable gift:

The May Dunn Scholarships

As noted earlier, benefactor and friend of the College, Mr Charles Dunn, had no
prior association with Janet Clarke Hall before he wandered into the College to
begin a conversation with the then Bursar, Mr Graeme Latham, about ways in
which he might support female students in residence.

Over sixteen years, his relationship with the College deepened as he followed with
pleasure the successes of May Dunn Scholars – scholarships named in honour of
his wife, Ethel May Dunn, who had practised as a nurse without the privilege of
a university education. Upon his death in April 2017, Mr Dunn made one of the
largest bequests in the College’s history to fund these scholarships in perpetuity.
Recently, Director of Development Shelley Roberts sought out some of our May
Dunn Scholars to discuss the impact of the College, and the May Dunn Scholarship,
on their lives.

Catherine
Wheller

Please tell us Please tell us about your post-JCH studies
what you were and career.
studying at the
University of After I left JCH I pursued an honours and
Melbourne and PhD in Earth Sciences. My studies took
how/why you me to Madagascar to explore the southern
originally came to be resident at JCH. desert in search of evidence of past plate
How did being in College influence your boundaries and to Namibia to present
experience of University? my research, before I took up lecturing a
second-year undergraduate course.
I arrived in Melbourne in 2009 to study I then decided to take a leap away from
a Bachelor of Science. I studied Biology, academia and pursue my interest in science
Chemistry, Earth Science and German in communication as I believe there’s a lot
my first year with the intention of majoring of good to be done in making research
in Genetics. I found that Earth Science accessible to the wider community. I
provided a perfect mix of application of all am now at the Natural History Museum
the sciences, as well as exotic field work in London as the Communications
and creativity, so I continued with Geology Manager for a new Bill and Melinda Gates
through to PhD. Foundation deworming research trial in
I had completed my schooling in Hobart, Benin, Malawi and India with the aim of
so becoming a resident at JCH upon breaking the transmission of parasitic worm
moving to Melbourne was my way of infections. It’s early days, but we have a
finding an instant community. College chance to improve the lives of 1.5 billion
provided me with a support network people, and I feel as though I am helping.
during key decisions in my undergraduate
years and exposed me to life outside my Reflecting on your time at JCH, have you
study area. any advice for students entering JCH for
the first time?
What did receiving the May Dunn
Scholarship mean for you? Put yourself out there for anything you think
is interesting, not just what is expected or
I received the May Dunn Scholarship in cool. Create conversations and talk about
2011 in my third year at College. It was ideas, and feel comfortable with sitting with
both a welcome financial boost and morale anyone at lunch. Find a group of friends
lifter after a testing year. I am very grateful with whom you can eat junk food and
for the support that JCH provided me over watch ten episodes of Buffy in a row; they
the years allowing me to concentrate on may become your surrogate family and
community building and my studies, while future housemates years later. Have fun,
recovering from a period of illness. and stay curious.

4 LUCE Number 16 2017