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New OWSD Executive Board is elected for 2021-2025

July 28, 2021

OWSD is very pleased to introduce its newly elected Executive Board for the period 2021-2025: 

President
 
Vice Presidents
Huda Basaleem (Arab region)
Atya Kapley (Asia Pacific region)
Kleinsy Bonilla (Latin America & Caribbean region)
 
Regional Members
Fortunate Farirai (Africa region)
Shymaa Enany (Arab region)
Hasin Anupama Azhari (Asia Pacific region)
Patricia Castillo-Briceno (Latin America & Caribbean region)
 
Immediate Past President

 

In elections held throughout June and July 2021, full OWSD members voted for regional Vice Presidents and regional Members, from among several candidates. 

The new Executive Board will meet for the first time in November 2021, in correspondence with the 6th OWSD General Assembly. Their responsibilities include strategic vision and planning, developing annual work plans and programme implementation, regional coordination and support of National Chapters in their region, and public relations and outreach, among others. 

Individual Executive Board members' bios and vision statements can be seen by clicking on their names above or below. 

Presidential election

  • Jennifer Thomson (South Africa), incument OWSD President, ran uncontested for a second term, and was re-elected without objection.

Vice Presidential elections

Out of the four OWSD regions (Africa, Asia-Pacific, Arab Region and Latin America and the Caribbean), two regions also had only one candidate each for Vice President, without objection. For this reason,

  • Atya Kapley (India) was re-elected OWSD Vice President for the Asia-Pacific Region
  • Huda Basaleem (Yemen) was the re-elected OWSD Vice President for the Arab Region

In Africa, 1,010 out of 3,073 OWSD active full members voted: 10 votes were empty; 214 votes were for Ganiyat Kehinde Oloyede; and 786 for Olubukola Oluranti Babalola. For this reason,

In Latin America and the Caribbean, 550 out of 1,086 OWSD active full members voted: 3 votes were empty; 81 votes were for Sumbal Saba; and 466 for Kleinsy Bonilla. For this reason,

  •  Kleinsy Bonilla (Guatemala) was elected the new OWSD Vice President for Latin America and the Caribbean.

Regional Member elections

For the positions of Regional Members, the Africa region had only one candidate, and the result was uncontested. For this reason,

  •  Fortunate Farirai (Zimbabwe) is the new Regional Member for Africa, automatically appointed.

In the Arab Region, 162 out of 717 OWSD active full members cast their vote: 58 votes were for Sara Abdelsalam; and 104 for Shymaa Enany. For this reason,

  •   Shymaa Enany (Egypt) is the new Regional Member for the Arab Region.

In the Asia Pacific, 375 out of 1,252 OWSD active full members cast their vote: 174 votes were for Sharmin Parveen; and 201 for Hasin Anupama Azhari. For this reason,

  • Hasin Anupama Azhari (Bangladesh) is the Regional Member for the Asia Pacific Region (for a second term).

In Latin America and the Caribbean, 409 out of 1,086 OWSD active full members cast their vote: 55 votes were for Sumbal Saba; and 354 for Patricia Castillo-Briceno. For this reason,

Past President

The immediate past President of OWSD is also a member of the Executive Board. Currently, 

  • Fang Xin (China) is the immediate Past President of OWSD.

 

 

 

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Success stories

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Winning this award opened many doors for me. It has led to success in acquiring local funding.
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When I am seeing an impact, that’s what makes me as a scientist feel an achievement
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Just give me the seed and I will continue.
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The OWSD award helped me not only to become the researcher I am today, but also to become a leader in research.
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When I got my OWSD fellowship, it was an amazing feeling. Before getting the letter, my academic career was a dream, the letter made it possible.
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My dear girls in science: be strong, inquisitive, curious, assertive, resilient, and focused. Go for gold!
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The fellowship has really impacted my career. I was working in a university as an Assistant Lecturer, but with the OWSD fellowship I am undertaking a PhD that will allow me to reach the grade of Senior Lecturer.
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