Plant Biotechnology BSc(Hons) student Olivia Kelly has been awarded the 2019 Joan Mary Anderson Award in plant science. She is working under the supervision of Dr Lynette Brownfield in the Department of Biochemistry, studying the control of pollen development, and in particular how sperm cells are made inside each pollen grain, through studying the regulation of the DUO1 gene.
Olivia attended Queen Margaret College in Wellington, and fell in love with plant science in her first year at university. "I did a plant science paper and loved it so much that I changed my entire degree", she says. In her spare time Olivia is a keen cook and baker.
Read more about the Joan Mary Anderson Award on our prizes and scholarships page.