Ambassador Lanier recognizes United States Student Achievers Program students Samuel Kitara, George Kakuru, and Gerard Kato

Ambassador Lanier recognizes United States Student Achievers Program students Samuel Kitara, George Kakuru, and Gerard Kato

Ambassador Lanier hosted USAP students, their families, schools, American Chamber of Commerce donors, and mission personnel to the United States Embassy on June 1, 2010 at 2 pm.  A ceremony was held to honor and recognize the achievements of USAP students Samuel Kitara, George Kakuru, and Gerard Kato.  They have each earned full scholarships to study in the United States beginning August, 2010 that will cover their entire four years to earn an undergraduate degree.

Samuel Kitara will attend the College of Wooster in Wooster, Ohio and will earn a degree in pre-med/biology.   George Bamuturaki Kakuru will attend Pepperdine University in Malibu, California where he will study electrical engineering.  Gerard Bamuturaki Kato will attend the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in Cambridge, Massachusetts.  He will also study electrical engineering. 

Ambassador Lanier also received donations on behalf of the USAP students from American Chamber of Commerce businesses to cover the students’ airline tickets, laptop computers, and incidental expenses.  Mr. Abhay Agarwal, Managing Director for Service and Computer Industries, donated two laptop computers.  Mr. Balogun Vincent, Managing Director for Mantrac Ltd. Caterpillar, donated 2.5 million USH.  Mr. Robert Mwesigwa, Managing Director for Amproc Inc., donated $2,000 USD.  Mr. Alex Wanjohi, Managing Director for Chartis Uganda Ltd, donated $2,500 USD.  Mr. Chinedu Ikwudinma, Managing Director for Citibank, donated $2,000 USD.  Mr. Basil Gadzios, Managing Director for Coca Cola and Century Bottling Company Ltd., donated $2,000.  Mr. Gilbert Wavamunno, Managing Director for Spear Motors Ltd., donated 1 million USH. 

Ambassador Lanier is sincerely grateful for the generosity of the American Chamber of Commerce businesses towards the United States Student Achievers Program.  He wishes the three students much success in their pursuit of an American university undergraduate degree.

Current USAP student, Albert Kertho, wins research scholarship award

Albert Kertho is a junior at the University of St. Thomas and current United States Student Achievers Program (USAP) participant from Uganda.  Albert earned a fellowship from the American Society of Plant Biologists to fund ten weeks of summer research.  He will examine various mechanisms plants use to survive when light conditions change.  He was given this opportunity after writing a winning paper entitled “An Examination of Irradiance-Dependent Regulation of Light Harvesting Phosphorylation in Gymnosperms and Angiosperms Growing in Both Field and Manipulated Light Conditions”.  Albert is one of fifteen recipients for the summer research fellowship.

Albert also won a $1,000 biology award from the University of St. Thomas Department of Biology.  This will be accredited to his tuition for the fall semester 2010.  Albert dreams of earning his PhD and having a career in plant pathology.  He hopes that when he returns to Uganda, he will lecture on the college circuit.

Link for the University of St. Thomas article:  http://www.stthomas.edu/bulletin/2010/04/13/ust-junior-earns-summer-research-scholarship/