(Jan. 31, 2018) – A University of Texas at San Antonio (UTSA) geology student wants to educate the people in her home country, Zambia, on the importance of clean water. Kuzipa Kapayi will have that opportunity thanks to a Rotary Global Education Grant she won through Rotary District 5840 and the Fair Oaks Ranch club.
Kapayi learned about the competitive grant program last fall at a Fellowships and Scholarships Workshop at UTSA. The $30,000 grant will cover her first year of graduate school at a university outside the United States. Kapayi has chosen to attend Copperbelt University in Zambia where she will focus on hydrology, the study of water and how it interacts with the earth.
“I want to make an impact on the people there,” Kapayi said. “I want to educate them on how to improve water and sanitation.”
Kapayi was born and raised in Zambia until she moved to the United States with her family when she was 15. She says people who live in rural areas of Zambia get their water from dirty wells. Children there frequently spend their days walking, only to get water from streams that are often contaminated.
“My goal is to wake up in the morning and walk through rural areas in Zambia and see children going to school instead of gathering water for their families,” Kapayi said. “They work so hard to get water that isn’t good for them. If I could teach them how to fix the sanitation problem, I could make a difference.”
“I was delighted when I realized that Kuzipa’s interests fit so well with a program I have been promoting for many years now – a program that has taken UTSA graduates all over the world,” said Ann Eisenberg, director of the UTSA Office of Scholar Development. ”I would encourage other high-achieving students who want to know what special educational experiences might suit them to visit our office.”
During Kapayi’s time at UTSA, the transfer student has conducted research in paleoclimatology with Marina Suarez, UTSA assistant professor of geology. She also interned at an environmental consulting company where she learned about installing wells, an experience she heard about through the Geopaths program at UTSA.
“The faculty here have been very helpful throughout my journey,” Kapayi said. “They’ve advised me on so many resources to help me in my future career.”
Kapayi graduates from UTSA this May with her bachelor of science in geology. She begins a master’s program in Natural Resources Management at Copperbelt in fall 2018.
“The knowledge I’ve gained at UTSA has been the backbone of my passion to pursue geology and help the people of Zambia,” Kapayi said. “As a student at UTSA, my degree will help me further my education, show Zambians what I’ve learned at UTSA and be a proud Roadrunner.”
Learn more about the UTSA Office of Scholar Development or visit the office in the McKinney Humanities Building (MH 4.02.26).
Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram and LinkedIn.
UTSA Today is produced by University Communications and Marketing, the official news source of The University of Texas at San Antonio. Send your feedback to news@utsa.edu. Keep up-to-date on UTSA news by visiting UTSA Today. Connect with UTSA online at Facebook, Twitter, Youtube and Instagram.
Learn to use the simple but powerful features of EndNote®, a citation management tool. In this hands-on workshop, participants will learn to setup an EndNote library, save references and PDFs, and automatically create and edit a bibliography.
Virtual EventLearn to use Zotero®, a citation manager that can help you store and organize citations you find during your research. Zotero can generate bibliographies in various styles, insert in-text citations and allow you to share sources with collaborators.
Virtual EventOur GSAW Research Symposium begins with lunch and a Poster Presentation Competition. Faculty, staff, and graduate students are welcome to attend and review the exceptional research from UTSA's best and brightest.
Student Union Ballrooms 1 & 2, Main CampusHear from UTSA doctoral candidate in environmental science, Andre Felton, as he discusses best practices to discuss scholarly research in non-academic settings. Our 2023 Three Minute Thesis (3MT) winners will also share their winning presentations.
Student Union Ballrooms 1 & 2, Main CampusJoin this fun event if you want resume and interview resources, a job or internship, a snow cone from Kona Ice and to socialize.
Sombrilla PlazaIn partnership with San Antonio Metro Health, join us for a special lecture series during Public Health week! An esteemed panel will discuss the job market’s impact on public health departments in Texas municipalities.
Retama Auditorium (SU 2.02.02,) Main CampusThe Task Force for the Shaping the Future of Artificial Intelligence, Cyber, Computing, and Data Science at UTSA initiative will hold a virtual Campus Forum to discuss their findings in Phase I (data gathering). UTSA faculty, staff and students will have an opportunity to ask questions and share ideas before the Task Force moves into Phase II.
Virtual EventThe University of Texas at San Antonio is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge through research and discovery, teaching and learning, community engagement and public service. As an institution of access and excellence, UTSA embraces multicultural traditions and serves as a center for intellectual and creative resources as well as a catalyst for socioeconomic development and the commercialization of intellectual property - for Texas, the nation and the world.
To be a premier public research university, providing access to educational excellence and preparing citizen leaders for the global environment.
We encourage an environment of dialogue and discovery, where integrity, excellence, inclusiveness, respect, collaboration and innovation are fostered.
UTSA is a proud Hispanic Serving Institution (HSI) as designated by the U.S. Department of Education .
The University of Texas at San Antonio, a Hispanic Serving Institution situated in a global city that has been a crossroads of peoples and cultures for centuries, values diversity and inclusion in all aspects of university life. As an institution expressly founded to advance the education of Mexican Americans and other underserved communities, our university is committed to promoting access for all. UTSA, a premier public research university, fosters academic excellence through a community of dialogue, discovery and innovation that embraces the uniqueness of each voice.