Wu Memorial Scholarship:
The Hao Wu Memorial Scholarship is an annual scholarship of Rs 20,000, dedicated to helping girls pursue higher education related to science and mathematics. Any NEF school may nominate a girl who is presently enrolled or has been admitted to in a degree course related to the pure or applied sciences. Recipients are selected based on academic performance, economic need and service to their community. All winners also commit to leading others by example through volunteer work at their previous high school, helping to conduct NEF's English and technology programs and mentoring girls enrolled in science stream classes or those who are considering enrollment.

For 2008-09, NEF is proud to present the first winner of the Hao Wu Memorial Scholarship! At seventeen, Misty Pinkal is currently a first-year Bachelor of Pharmacy student in Bardoli, who hopes to go on to complete her Masters' degree. In his nomination, Principal Mahida noted that she is an outstanding student who placed first overall in the science stream at Kadod High School, but still found the time to help other girls with their schoolwork. Her impressive performance gained her admission into a competitive pharmacy program at Vidyabharti Trust College, but her university expenses are a significant strain on her family's resources. NEF is delighted to award this scholarship (our largest grant to a single individual) to a lively and articulate young woman who fully deserves a future as bright as her promise.

Congratulations, Misty Pinkal!

Research
In order to better understand the complex relationship between female students and our partner schools, we conduct on-going community based research to understand these relationships. In the summer of 2008, one of our summer interns investigated the reasons behind the low participation rates of girls in technology classes through community and student interviews. Our 2009 summer interns will also be investigating issues relating to girls' education and related programming.