Elon Musk’s mother, Dr Maye Musk, has founded a scholarship to support serving students who intend to study nutrition or dietetics at the University of the Free State (UFS), the facility has announced.
This will provide annual financial support to two students for two years, the university said, and represents “a significant step towards providing support for top-achieving students who wish to pursue a full-time Master’s degree”.
This scholarship will also enable the Department of Nutrition and Dietetics to expand its innovative work in maternal and child nutrition, particularly in maternal and infant body composition analysis, it said.
Musk was accepted to study for a Diploma in Hospital Dietetics at the Universitas Hospital in Bloemfontein in the early 1980s, reports News24. Afterwards, she was awarded a bursary to pursue a Master of Science at UFS.
In April 2023, she received an honorary doctorate in the field, marking the first-ever honorary doctorate in dietetics awarded by the university.
Professor Corinna Walsh from the Department said studies in this field had the potential to revolutionise the understanding of how nutritional factors influence maternal and infant health outcomes, leading to more effective interventions and policies.
“By advancing research in this crucial area, the scholarship helps address critical public health challenges, ultimately contributing to healthier communities and improved quality of life for mothers and children worldwide.”
She added that the Department, and in particular the Faculty of Health Sciences, was immensely proud of the university’s association with Musk “and this hugely positive contribution to our students”.
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