Pat Bennett established the Bennett PhD Scholarship in 2020 with an annual gift to the University. The scholarship provides funding for potential students to undertake PhD study in the fields of Mathematics & Statistics and is delivered in partnership with the department.

Nathan Burns is the inaugural Bennett PhD Scholar. Having completed his undergraduate degree in Mathematics and Statistics at Strathclyde, this scholarship provided him with an opportunity to pursue further research in area of great personal interest.

Through his PhD, Nathan has been analysing the relationship between widening access and success at university. He hopes to develop a model that can predict success outcomes to help improve provisions and support for students from widening access backgrounds.

As Nathan progressed through his PhD study, Pat chose to continue the scholarship throughout her lifetime and beyond. Through a gift in her Will Pat will support students like Nathan in perpetuity, forming a partnership with Strathclyde to give talented minds the opportunity to excel within their fields.

“I initially started a Pharmacy degree course at the University of Strathclyde, but changed direction into Engineering, and then on to Maths, Stats and Computing. My career was focused on all things computing and I worked in a variety of fields including air traffic control, defence, pharmaceuticals, in the Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland, Australia, and the United States, as well as the UK. My husband was technically an engineer, but developed an enthusiastic interest in maths which he studied for his third degree, just for the pleasure of learning more.

I am sponsoring the scholarship with the aim of supporting further study in an area that we were both involved in and enjoyed.” - Mrs Pat Bennett, Donor and Legacy Pledger