UCL geographer wins national undergraduate dissertation prize

UCL Geography graduate, Fumika Azuma, has been awarded the Royal Geographical Society’s top Alfred Steers Dissertation Prize for 2019, awarded for ‘extraordinary achievement in geographical research’.

Her project, completed in 2018, assessed mangrove system dynamics in five ponds formerly used for aquaculture in Singapore. It was based on historical topographic maps and satellite images and explored the possibilities of rehabilitating these delicate ecosystems. Having grown up in SE Asia, the idea for the project was inspired by Fumi’s interest in mangroves, and also the application of GIS techniques.

Since graduating, Fumi has been based at the Okinawa Institute of Science and Technology (OIST) graduate/research centre, first as a research intern and now working as a technical assistant, while she decides where to do her PhD. Her dissertation is also being prepared for publication with her supervisor, Dr Helene Burningham.

See

• OIST
• ‘Cold hands, sore arms and muddy clothes'