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Role Models – Professionals
2024
Dr June FabianÂ
For her leadership and coordination of the multi-country and multi-dimensional ARK project
Dr June Fabian, Director: University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) Donald Gordon Medical Research Institute; Post-doctoral Researcher; Co-Lead: Clinical Research Platform: SAMRC/Wits Rural Public Health and Health Transitions Research Unit; Lecturer: Department of Internal Medicine, School of Clinical Medicine, Faculty of Health Sciences, Wits was awarded the NSTF-SAMRC Clinician-Scientist Award at the 2024 NSTF-South32 Awards. She received the prestigious award for her leadership and coordination of the multi-country and multi-dimensional ARK project, challenged outdated, biased, and unscientific diagnostic tools and developed new, evidence-grounded methodologies to achieve greater impact in the early detection and management of chronic kidney disease. The award is sponsored by South African Medical Research Council (SAMRC).
2024
Prof Linda GodfreyÂ
For her leading role in shaping and driving SA`s waste and circular economy, technology and innovation agendas
Prof Linda Godfrey, Manager: Circular Innovation SA, Principal Scientist: Circular Economy, CSIR; Extraordinary Professor: Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, North-West University (NWU) was awarded the NSTF-TIA Green Economy Award at the 2024 NSTF-South32 Awards. She received the award for her leading role in shaping and driving SA’s waste and circular economy science, technology and innovation agendas, encompassing the development and implementation of the Waste Research, Development and Innovation Roadmap for the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI) and having been instrumental in shaping strategic local and international waste and circular economy initiatives. The award is sponsored by Technology Innovation Agency (TIA).
2024
Prof Emmanuel IwuohaÂ
For his exploitation of the capacity of the SensorLab at UWC
Prof Emmanuel Iwuoha, Professor: Chemistry, University of the Western Cape (UWC);Â DSTI/NRF SARChI Chair: NanoElectrochemistry and Sensor Technology;Â Director: SensorLab, UWC was awarded the Engineering Research Capacity Development Award at the 2024 NSTF-South32 Awards. He received the prestigious award for his exploitation of the capacity of the SensorLab at UWC for research on disease diagnostic sensor devices, lithium-ion battery/supercapacitors and solar cell technology to achieve a significant throughput of researchers under his guidance for applications in solar cells and gas sensing. The Award is sponsored by Eskom.
2024
Prof Timothy DubeÂ
For his pioneering and innovative methods using satellite technology merged with machine learning (AI)
Prof Timothy Dube won the NSTF-Water Research Commission (WRC) Award at the 2024 NSTF-South32 Awards. He is a Director: Institute for Water Studies, University of the Western Cape (UWC); Adjunct Professor: United Nations University, Flores, Germany. Prof Dube received the award for his pioneering and innovative methods using satellite technology merged with machine learning (AI) to monitor water resources in semi-arid regions, enhancing ecological sustainability and community resilience. The Award is sponsored by the WRC.
2024
Jonker Sailplanes (Pty) LtdÂ
For their design, manufacture and further development of their internationally competitive sailplanes
Jonker Sailplanes (Pty) Ltd won the 2024 Innovation Award: Small, Medium and Micro Enterprise (SMME). Prof Attie Jonker is the Co-Founder, Shareholder and Director. They received the award for their design, manufacture, further development of, and for building on their success celebrated for the first time 11 years ago, and for their export success of internationally competitive sailplanes.
2024
Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy (IDIA)Â
For their cutting-edge infrastructure and its management
Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy (IDIA) won the 2024 Special Annual Theme Award: Fourth Industrial Revolution (4IR) in South Africa (SA). Prof Patrick Woudt is the Interim Director of the Department of Astronomy at the University of Cape Town (UCT). They received the award for their cutting-edge infrastructure and its management which facilitates global collaboration in astronomy empowering researchers to analyse complex SET data with unprecedented efficiency.
2024
Prof Bernard Slippers
For his leadership and participation in several substantive research programmes
Prof Bernard Slippers, Professor: Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology; Director: Tree Protection Co-operative Programme; Director: Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), University of Pretoria (UP); and Director: Innovation Africa @UP was awarded the Management Award at the 2024 NSTF-South32 Awards. He received the prestigious award for his leadership and participation in several substantive research programmes and his role in the foundation of the Future Africa Institute, the Africa Science Leadership Programme and Innovation Africa @UP, as well as the Global Young Academy movement and South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS).
2024
Prof Claudia Polese
For her leadership of several strategic South African initiatives
Prof Claudia Polese won the Engineering Research Capacity Development Award at the 2024 NSTF-South32 Awards. She is an Associate Professor: Aerospace Manufacturing and Design; and Head: Aeronautical Engineering Stream; and Deputy Director: African Research Universities Alliance Centre of Excellence in Materials, Energy and Nanotechnology; and Advisory Aerospace Research Director: National Aerospace Centre, University of the Witwatersrand (Wits). Prof Polese received the award for her leadership of several strategic South African initiatives to strengthen the research in the area of advanced manufacturing technologies and primarily the cutting-edge Laser Shock Peening (LSP) process, furthering substantial infrastructural and human capital development.
2024
Dr Tiisetso E Lephoto
For her investigation of biological control agents
Lecturer and Principal Researcher: School of Molecular and Cell Biology, Faculty of Science, University of the Witwatersrand (Wits) was awarded the TW Kambule-NSTF Award: Emerging Researcher at the 2024 NSTF-South32 Awards. She received the prestigious award for her investigation of biological control agents (natural enemies for pests) which can help solve specific challenges, and the identification of new insect-killing microscopic worms called entomopathogenic nematodes, which have the potential to infect and kill problematic soil-dwelling insects in farms within 24-48 hours upon invasion.
2024
Prof Tebogo Mashifana
For her research which focuses on innovative circular economy principles
Prof Tebogo Mashifana won the TW Kambule-NSTF Award: Emerging Researcher at the 2024 NSTF-South32 Awards. She is an Associate Professor and the Head of the Department of Chemical Engineering Technology at the University of Johannesburg (UJ). Prof Mashifana received the award for her research which focuses on innovative circular economy principles to remediate the environmental impact caused by wastewater and solid wastes and the conversion of such wastes generated by different industries, which pollute our environment, contaminate water, soil and the air, into new products that can be used for various applications.
2024
Prof Ben-Erik van Wyk
For his contribution as a botanist and an authority on traditional and commercial uses of plants
Prof Ben-Erik van Wyk, Chair: Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI)/National Research Foundation (NRF) South African Research Chairs Initiative (SARChI) in Indigenous Plant Use, University of Johannesburg (UJ) was awarded the 2024 NSTF-South32 Lifetime Award. He received this prestigious award for his contribution as a botanist and an authority on traditional and commercial uses of plants, with numerous books and publications covering all or most of the socially relevant and commercialised plant species of the world.
2024
Prof Patience Mthunzi-Kufa
For her research on HIV-1, TB, COVID-19, as well as non-communicable diseases
Prof Patience Mthunzi-Kufa won the TW Kambule-NSTF Researcher Award of the 2024 NSTF-South32 Awards. She is a Research Group Head: Biophotonics; and Manager: Photonics Centre, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR); and Professor Extraordinarius: University of South Africa (UNISA). Prof Mthunzi-Kufa received the award for her research on the construction and application of photonics-based diagnostic devices for point-of-care detection of HIV-1, TB, COVID-19, as well as non-communicable diseases in order to achieve early detection and to facilitate timely treatment.
S.E.T. for socio-economic growth
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