In Memory of Fortune Gomo (1986–2025)

It is with deep sorrow that we share the news of the passing of Dr. Fortune Gomo, an alumna of the 2019 Young Scientists Summer Program (YSSP), who tragically lost her life in Dundee, Scotland, last week.
 
Fortune joined IIASA in 2019 for a summer as part of the Water Security Research Group, contributing to the ISWEL project under the joint supervision of Bárbara Willaarts and Michiel van Dijk. Her work focused on water security in Malawi; a subject she pursued with dedication and heartfelt commitment to the communities she aimed to serve. Her colleagues remember her as thoughtful, driven, and always generous with her time and support.
 
"Her brilliance in the classroom was only matched by her emotional intelligence… She listened. She cared. She uplifted." - Angela Machonesa, friend and former classmate
 
At the time of her death, Fortune was working as a Senior Service Planner at Scottish Water, where she continued to champion sustainable environmental planning. Simon Parsons, Director of Environment Planning and Assurance at Scottish Water, described her as “an exceptional scientist and a highly valued and respected member of our team.”
 
Fortune will be remembered as a dedicated researcher who cared deeply for her work and making a difference in people’s lives. Her legacy will live on in the projects she helped shape, the colleagues she inspired, and the communities she impacted.
 
Our thoughts and condolences go out to her family, especially her young daughter, and to her community at Scottish Water, the University of Dundee, and beyond.