Millicent is a Master’s graduate in Medical and Veterinary Entomology from the University of Nairobi. Her research, which is grounded in malaria research, focuses on the ecology and biology of malaria vectors. Her thesis informs how different physicochemical factors affect the presence and abundance of malaria vectors in Western Kenya.
Before starting her MSc, she worked as a volunteer graduate assistant in marginalized communities in coastal parts of Kenya. Apart from supporting and strengthening education outcomes in the community, she actively participated in community sensitization programs addressing hunger and food insecurities. By volunteering in an area other than her home county, she gained invaluable exposure to diverse environments, experiences, and communities. This experience provided her with positive inter-ethnic interaction, thus a global mind-set. It also ignited a powerful interest in research, and it is during this period that she enrolled for masters.
She believes that only research can act as a critical tool to navigate this complex world. This belief, coupled with substantial community interests, is what keeps her on toes. Having worked in marginalized places and seeing people suffer due to lack of fundamental needs and still bear the burden of diseases like malaria and other vector-borne diseases fuels her. She believes that every community needs to be happy and healthy, which she says can only be contributed through research and collaboration. When she is not busy studying or editing a research paper, Millicent enjoys taking walks, listening to music, and dancing.