New science scholarship honours inventor of Vegemite

The scholarship is named in honour of Cyril Callister, a renowned scientist and inventor of the yeast extract which was sold as Vegemite.

Worth $1,000, the scholarship is open to students residing in the Northern Rivers area of New South Wales and southern Gold Coast in Queensland.

Executive Dean of the Faculty of Science and Engineering, Professor Jon Hill, said the scholarship provides the opportunity for students to embark on an exciting career in STEM.

“This is a field of rapid growth and change, from artificial intelligence to climate change, and we are equipping future leaders in STEM with the skills and knowledge to confidently navigate a career in this industry,” Professor Hill said.

“I thank the Cyril Callister Foundation for their generous scholarship donation. This will open the doors for students to pursue studies in science and environment.”

The Foundation is run by Cyril Callister’s grandson, Jamie Callister, and wife Libby, who are based in Kingscliff.

Mr Callister said the Foundation aims to encourage students to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps and pursue higher education.

“Cyril grew up in a small country town and his only avenue for further education was through scholarships,” he said.

“We wanted to give back because it can be hard for kids to make it to university, particularly in regional and rural areas. We are keen to foster interest in science and provide a pathway to university. I’m really excited to be able to give back to the local community.”

About the Bachelor of Science

The Bachelor of Science is a three-year degree offered at the Northern Rivers campus, the National Marine Science Centre in Coffs Harbour and online.

 Students can choose a specialisation in Earth and Environmental Systems, Marine Systems or Regenerative Agriculture, or one or two majors in Applied Chemistry, Biology or a university-wide shared major.

Southern Cross University is ranked in the global top 100 universities for oceanography and top 400 for earth sciences in the Global Rankings of Academic Subjects (Shanghai Rankings) 2023.

About the Cyril Callister Foundation

The Cyril Callister Foundation was established in 2019 to raise awareness about the life and achievements of Cyril Callister and to help young people in regional areas realise their ambitions in the field of science. The Foundation runs the Happy Little Vegemites in Schools program which promotes creativity and scientific enquiry for primary school students.

Learn more and apply for the Cyril Callister Foundation Scholarship.