UVic biochem student named 2020 Rhodes Scholar

Growing up on the West Coast, surrounded by the smell of pine and ocean spray, University of Victoria biochemistry student Rory Hills developed a love for science early in life, which drove his desire to contribute to solving society’s toughest problems including the opioid crisis and climate change.

 

Because of his superior academic achievement and leadership, Hills is headed to United Kingdom in the fall of 2020 as a Rhodes Scholar based at the University of Oxford.

 

“I could barely speak when I found out. This scholarship opens so many doors that might otherwise be shut,” says the 23-year-old honours student.

 

As a teenager, Hills recalls Andrew Weaver, UVic professor in the School of Earth and Ocean Sciences scientist and leader of the BC Green Party leader, talking to students about climate change and research in a school gym. “He told us that we not only had the ability to make change, we had a responsibility to strive for it,” says Hills, who later served as director of communications on Weaver‘s 2017 campaign. Hills realized back then science is the vital link to help people understand and solve many of the world’s problems.

 

Years later, he saw firsthand the potential impact research can make in peoples’ lives. As part of a small interdisciplinary team co-led by UVic chemistry professor Dennis Hore and Bruce Wallace, professor of social work, Hills helped establish an innovative drug-checking pilot project in 2018 that currently operates in three locations in Victoria. The project aims to provide a quick, accurate chemical analysis of drugs in order to prevent overdoses while also evaluating different drug-checking technologies. 

 

“Before we had a team of technicians, social workers and computer scientists, it was all Rory,” says Hore. “He got this project off the ground.”

 

For Hills, the experience was transformative. “It was a huge amount of work and a lot of ups and downs. It showed me just how demanding research can be. But it convinced me this is exactly what I want to do for the rest of my life. I want to use science to help find solutions to real-world problems,” he says.

 

There is no greater challenge today for the planet than climate change, adds Hills. Under the supervision of UVic biochemist Alisdair Boraston, Hills’ honours thesis will focus on studying proteins with potential for producing biofuels from seaweed. 

 

[TK: please insert quote here] “Rory was selected based on his outstanding academic achievement, his leadership and his acute understanding of how science can help make vital impact for people, places and the planet. We are very proud of him,” says UVic President Jamie Cassels.

 

The Rhodes Scholarship, which covers all travel, living and study expenses at Oxford, supports outstanding students from around the world. Scholars are selected on the basis of academic achievement, exceptional character, leadership, achievement in extra-curricular activities and a commitment to solving humanity’s challenges. Including Hills, 11 UVic researchers have been named Rhodes Scholars.

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