For the past fourteen years, two Grinnell College graduates have been selected each year for a competitive one-year Grinnell Corps Service Fellowship at the Gobabeb Research and Training Centre in Namibia. A recent survey of the 28 Fellows that completed the program revealed that this is an invaluable experience for the participants, with more than half revealing that it was “life-changing” and a further 43% reporting that it re-affirmed their life goals. Most Fellows felt that their most valuable contribution to Gobabeb was teaching and mentoring Namibian secondary and tertiary students. All Fellows are now either in graduate school or employed in a diverse array of positions reflecting their professional interests that in some fashion “support the common good”, an integral part of Grinnell's mission statement. Synergistic activities that have arisen from this Grinnell–Gobabeb relationship include visiting lecturer opportunities at Grinnell for Namibians; internships for Grinnell students and service fel...

Supporting a teaching and learning community across borders: Grinnell College at Gobabeb

ecology, physiology, geology, geomorphology, archaeology and sociology What, during this first phase of Mary’s career, were the keys to her success? It is clear that a convergence of fate, fortune and Mary’s own special brand of energy, focus and self-motivation, all worked in her favour The locality and research function of Gobabeb provided the perfect springboard to her career, together with the support of several colleagues and friends who helped to open doors, which she had no hesitation in entering! Much of the success of the Gobabeb research programme related to Mary’s commitment to facilitating other people’s research and becoming directly involved with research projects that were out of her own field, but that added to understanding of the Namib ecology Gobabeb became a place where all were welcome She has always worked tirelessly and without complaint, immersing herself fearlessly in the big issues, ever seeking out (and implementing) ways to do things better She will be heard saying, ‘Make use of what you have, then build on it’ She demonstrated this from the beginning, making minimal funds go a long way, while doggedly building up an increasingly viable and professional institution An empathic human being, she is quick to offer a helping hand whether on a personal level, or to facilitate study and career opportunities for her proteges ‘Out of the box’ thinking is Mary’s challenge to all, be they aspirant scientists, peers and colleagues, or young people who are ‘finding themselves in the desert’ Her favourite (and famous) comment on reviewing first drafts of publications is ‘So what?’, forcing the author to go back and find the ‘gee whiz’ aspects of the subject, and cut the waffle Mary’s characteristic focus on her goals, and her perseverance in meeting them against all odds, paid off at the time of Namibia’s independence in 1990 The second phase of her career began at this time, with a crisis: South African funding which had underpinned Gobabeb was withdrawn, and closure was imminent But Mary saw beyond Gobabeb, to the potential for applying science in the development arena Her establishment of the Desert Research Foundation of Namibia (DRFN) opened a gateway in Namibia that served to connect science to development, translating desert knowledge into policy, training and capacity, awareness and sustainable development She simultaneously activated Gobabeb as a site for integrated training, as well as maintaining its research and long-term monitoring functions, while dedicating enormous energy to securing funding for the research station Mary’s work pioneered desertification

/pdf/mary-seely-visionary-scientist-and-dedicated-teacher-turns-4rcjxg7oj0.pdf

Viv Ward

Papers

Mary Seely, visionary scientist and dedicated teacher, turns 70