Dorothy Akoth, a Master’s student in the College of Natural Sciences (CoNAS) at Makarere University in Uganda, has been named one of two winners of the 2023 GBIF Graduate Researchers Award.
An expert jury selected Akoth, who was nominated by the Uganda National Council for Science and Technology together with National Fisheries Resources Research Institute (NaFIRRI), for the instrumental role of her research in improving the knowledge of the distribution and imperilment status of 110 native fish species outside the iconic Haplochromine tribe of East African cichlids. The student was supervised by Prof. Fredrick Muyodi and Dr Jackson Efitre from the Department of Zoology, Entomology and Fisheries Sciences at CoNAS, Makerere University, as well as Dr Vanny Natugonza of Busitema Univeristy.
Since its inception in 2010, the annual GBIF Graduate Researchers Award (previously the Young Researchers Award) has sought to promote and encourage innovation in biodiversity-related research using data shared through the GBIF network.