---

Prof Peter Taylor, Research Professor in the Department of Zoology and Entomology under the Afromontane Research Unit (ARU) at the Qwaqwa Campus, is the latest researcher and scholar from the University of the Free State (UFS) to be inaugurated as a Member of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf).

Prof Taylor, who joined the UFS in January this year, is one of 43 scholars elected to join ASSAf this year. This brings ASSAf’s membership to 632.

“I feel honoured and gratified by this news. I was quite disbelieving at first. I have worked towards this goal but was still surprised. On a previous occasion a few years ago, I was nominated but was not successful, so it galvanised me to strive to improve the international impact of my research by publishing in higher-impact journals and engaging actively with respected collaborators, stakeholders and communities to promote my research in the broader society,” says Prof Taylor.

According to him, it is very gratifying when your work is finally noticed and appreciated. “This confidence placed on me galvanises me to aim higher and to support my students to also aim high.”

Goal is to mentor emerging researchers

Prof Taylor was nominated and encouraged by Prof Nigel Bennett, an NRF A-rated colleague from the University of Pretoria.

As the official Academy of South Africa, ASSAf has as its core function to honour the country’s most outstanding scholars by electing them to membership of the Academy. ASSAf members are drawn from the full spectrum of disciplines. New members are elected each year by the full existing Membership. Membership of the Academy is a great honour and is in recognition of scholarly achievement. Members are the core asset of the Academy and give of their time and expertise voluntarily in the service of society.

Prof Taylor says his goals as a new ASSAf member are to mentor emerging researchers and his students as well as postdoctoral fellows to aspire to becoming future members of the South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS) as well as ASSAf.

“I would also like to champion my own fields of zoology and ecology among the broad spectrum of sciences in ASSAf, e.g. by contributing items to their newsletter. I look forward to networking opportunities and hopefully broadening my outlook and being inspired by top-level scientists in South Africa working across different disciplines.

“I would like to thank the management of UFS and my colleagues for providing an empowering work environment that supports my research. I also encourage academics who have been disappointed along their career to keep persevering and aim higher. Hard work pays off!” states Prof Taylor.

He and his research team of students and postdoctoral fellows at the Mountain Bat Lab at Qwaqwa have initiated new projects to investigate the ecosystem services provided by bats in natural and agricultural ecosystems in the mountains near Qwaqwa, Phuthaditjhaba, and surrounding farms. They are also embracing an engaged scholarship approach to involve school and farm communities in the research and increase awareness about the importance of protecting nature’s goods and services for a sustainable future for the region.