Profile Stories
Makadunyiswe Doublejoy Ngulube: Fall, 2021 Valedictorian
Hometown: Bulawayo, Zimbabwe
Degree: Bachelor of Science Honours in Environmental Science, Co-operative Education.
Graduation date: September, 2021
Favourite class: Environmental Challenges
Awards:
- Valedictorian Award | Saint Mary’s University, Fall Convocation 2021
- Environmental Science Prize | Saint Mary’s University, Fall 2021
- Best Undergraduate Oral Presentation | Atlantic Canada Coastal Estuarine Science Society Conference, May 2021
- First Place| Science Atlantic Undergraduate Research Award, March 2021
- Student Leadership Recognition Award | Saint Mary’s University, February 2020
Education plans: Currently enrolled in the Master of Science in Applied Science Program at SMU
Career plans: I am passionate about sustainable development, climate change adaptation and mitigation, as well as coastal protection. I would like to dabble in the field of environmental consulting and academia. I am also passionate about Environmental leadership and informed decision-making, especially where the fate of our planet depends on those decisions. I hope that I can contribute my scientific knowledge to various sectors and stakeholders.
Favourite spot at SMU: Burke building!
Why did you choose SMU? I was looking for a university that was small in a small city. As an international student, being far away from home, I didn’t want to plunge myself in a big city just yet. The class sizes and the close contact with professors was something I also considered in my selection.
Any advice for new students: Take one step at a time! Don't rush to complete the degree, instead, focus on the learning experience and learn to appreciate the educational process as whole!
Makadunyiswe Doublejoy Ngulube’s research focuses on the Wave Dissipation Potential of Spartina alterniflora in the Bay of Fundy, addressing the knowledge gap in studies on coastal protection and nature-based adaptation to climate change. She has received top awards at the Science Atlantic Environment Conference and the Atlantic Canada Coastal Estuarine Science Society Conference for her work.
An active and engaged student on campus, she was a member of the SMU Environmental Society and African Society, and helped organize Welcome Weeks events. She served as the Delegates Director for the first ever TEDxSaintMarysU event and has facilitated multiple sessions at various leadership conferences. In 2020, she was awarded the Student Leadership Recognition Award for demonstrating leadership within and beyond the classroom. She also held roles as a teaching assistant and research technician.
Makadunyiswe is member of the Global Shapers Halifax Hub, which is comprised of young people who tackle various world issues with expertise from their respective disciplines. Remotely, she has worked on projects to raise local biodiversity awareness through Green Hut Initiative, a non-profit organization in Zimbabwe.
She would like to express her utmost gratitude to her parents Bishops Sindah and Suzen Ngulube, her sister Makabongwe, the Nkala family, and her friends, for their unwavering support throughout this journey.
