Opportunity Knox for UOW statistics student

At 19, most students have just started their uni degree. But a month before he turns 20, UOW student Richard White will be heading to one of the world’s most prestigious universities on a scholarship awarded to only 15 people globally, to study a PhD that could see him changing the face of mental health, AIDS or cancer research.

The Gerringong student has been awarded a Harvard Knox Fellowship to study a Doctor of Public Health in Biostatistics. He was also accepted to study at Johns Hopkins University, but the prestigious and lucrative award from Harvard means his tuition and health care is paid, totalling more than $24 000 a year over the five-year degree.

Richard completed his HSC at 15 and studied a Bachelor of Advanced Mathematics, followed by Honours in Statistics, which he will complete in July. From age 16 he has also worked at a tutor at UOW. He follows in the footsteps of his brother PJ, who received a PhD scholarship for study at Oxford University when he was 18.

Professor Matt Wand from the School of Mathematics and Applied Statistics, who has taught and mentored Richard during his time at UOW, said that admission into Harvard’s Department of Biostatistics is exciting news.

“This is one of the world's great statistical groups and is located in a major epicentre of medical and public health research in Boston,” Professor Wand said.

Richard credits Professor Wand, who previously taught at Harvard, for inspiring him to apply his statistical knowledge to the area of public health.

“Up until I met Matt Wand I didn’t know about biostatistics,” Richard said.

Biostatistics is the application of statistics to biology, medicine and public health, and Richard said the career opportunities that will open up to him in this area are broad and exciting.

“There’s a lot more to statistics than people realise,” he said. “The careers that can come from biostatisics range from working with Doctors Without Borders in Africa, to doing cancer research, mental health studies or working for pharmaceutical firms.”

Richard will leave for Boston in July, and says he is excited about what’s waiting for him in America.

“I’m most excited about the chance to go to the best place in the world and do courses that are taught by field leaders. Also, there are so many opportunities over there – I can do research that makes a difference,” he said

“For example if I find out there is a way to reduce HIV spread, then there is a high chance someone will use it.”

Last reviewed: 20 April, 2009