Gothamie Weerakoon ( si, ගෝතමී වීරකෝන්) is a Sri Lankan-based
botanist
Botany, also called , plant biology or phytology, is the science of plant life and a branch of biology. A botanist, plant scientist or phytologist is a scientist who specialises in this field. The term "botany" comes from the Ancient Greek wo ...
,
lichenologist and
environmentalist
An environmentalist is a person who is concerned with and/or advocates for the protection of the environment. An environmentalist can be considered a supporter of the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that se ...
.
Early life and education
After completing her primary education at the
Devi Balika Vidyalaya in
Colombo
Colombo ( ; si, කොළඹ, translit=Koḷam̆ba, ; ta, கொழும்பு, translit=Koḻumpu, ) is the executive and judicial capital and largest city of Sri Lanka by population. According to the Brookings Institution, Colombo me ...
, she attended the
University of Colombo
(Buddhih Sarvatra Bhrajate)
, mottoeng = ''Wisdom Enlightens''
, established =
, endowment = Sri Lankan rupee, LKR 1.461 1,000,000,000 (number), billion , completing her
PhD PHD or PhD may refer to:
* Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), an academic qualification
Entertainment
* '' PhD: Phantasy Degree'', a Korean comic series
* ''Piled Higher and Deeper'', a web comic
* Ph.D. (band), a 1980s British group
** Ph.D. (Ph.D. albu ...
in 2013 at the
Sri Jayawardenepura University. She emerged as the most active Sri Lankan
lichen
A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among filaments of multiple fungi species in a mutualistic relationship.[endemic
Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found elsew ...]
to Sri Lanka. Some of the species she has discovered include ''Heterodermia queesnberryi'' and ''Polymeridium fernandoi''. In 2015, she wrote ''Fascinating
Lichens
A lichen ( , ) is a composite organism that arises from algae or cyanobacteria living among hypha, filaments of multiple fungus, fungi species in a mutualism (biology), mutualistic relationship.[Natural History Museum of London
The Natural History Museum in London is a museum that exhibits a vast range of specimens from various segments of natural history. It is one of three major museums on Exhibition Road in South Kensington, the others being the Science Museum an ...]
and also with tea brand,
Dilmah.
Awards and recognition
She is the first South Asian woman scientist to hold the Annual Grantee award from the
National Geographic Society
The National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington, D.C., United States, is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational organizations in the world.
Founded in 1888, its interests include geography, archaeology, and ...
.
See also
*
:Taxa named by Gothamie Weerakoon
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Weerakoon, Gothamie
Living people
Date of birth missing (living people)
Sri Lankan botanists
Sri Lankan scientists
Sri Lankan environmentalists
Lichenologists
Alumni of Holy Family Convent, Kurunegala
People from Kurunegala
Sri Lankan expatriates in the United Kingdom
1973 births
Sri Lankan women environmentalists
Women lichenologists