A Victoria University student has been awarded a $300,000 Woolf Fisher Trust scholarship to study at the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom.
The recipient, honours student Liam Jolliffe, will complete a Master of Advanced Studies at Cambridge, before transitioning to study for a PhD in Pure Mathematics and Mathematical Statistics.
Jolliffe studied at Wairarapa College before coming to Victoria to complete a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and Physics.
Salient was curious if Jolliffe was actually Jimmy Neutron, however he disproved this theory: “I probably fancied myself as a Jimmy Neutron when I was younger, but I’m not sure I’m creative enough for that.”
He is looking forward to studying at a university with such an extensive history. “The university dates back to the 13th century and many of the buildings reflect this. Maths has been taught there for hundreds of years and lots of famous mathematicians went there.”
Jolliffe intends to return to New Zealand after seeing out the scholarship, and says that this was “quite important to the scholarship committee.”
“Hopefully I will end up working at a university. Who knows, I may end up back here.”