Two highly rated established academics and a young scholar from the University of the Free State (UFS) have been inaugurated as newly elected members of the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf).
Prof Pieter Meintjes, in the UFS Department of Physics and an astrophysics pioneer in South Africa, and Prof John Carranza, in the Department of Geology and NRF B1 rated researcher, were inaugurated during the ASSAf Awards ceremony on 23 October 2024.
Dr Andronicus Akinyelu, a lecturer of Computer Science and Informatics was inaugurated as member of the South African Young Academy of Science (SAYAS). Dr Akinyelu specialises in machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, medical diagnosis, sustainable agriculture and ethical artificial intelligence.
Prof Meintjes, a B2 rated researcher, describes being a member of ASSAf as a great honour and privilege. “It obviously has great meaning for a scientist if one’s life or career contributions in science and academia are recognised as meaningful by the ASSAf,” says Prof Meintjes, who was nominated by Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research and Internationalisation at the UFS, and a ASSAf member himself.
His nomination was supported by fellow colleagues at the institution. He considers being a member of this organisation as an opportunity to represent his department and the institution.
The importance of ASSAf membership
According to Prof Meintjes, being a member of an organisation as prestigious as ASSAf comes with several responsibilities. These include promoting the vision of ASSAf in the research he and other members conduct, the interactions they have with other researchers, as well as in the socialisation of research findings to the public.
In his time as a member of the academy Prof Meintjes hopes to “keep striving towards excellence in my research and to communicate our discoveries to the public in general, and to school learners with every opportunity I am granted”.
He is one of South Africa’s pioneers in the field of astrophysics and is a member of the HESS consortium’s research group on gamma rays. In 2013, he was included in the highly regarded international HESS and CTA high-energy astrophysics cooperations. He is also a member of the management committee of the SA-GAMMA consortium, a research cooperation between North-West University, University of the Witwatersrand, the UFS, University of Johannesburg. and the National Research Foundation, which promotes the development of high-energy astrophysics in Southern Africa.
Becoming SAYAS member was his goal
Says Dr Akinyelu: “Being inaugurated as a SAYAS member is an honour, and I am both humbled and inspired to join a group that is actively shaping the future of science in South Africa. At the event, I had the opportunity to meet a remarkable group of young and established scientists who deeply motivated me. Their passion and commitment to advancing scientific research and fostering positive change were energising, and I feel even more driven to contribute to this mission of excellence in science.”.
Becoming a member of SAYAS, he says, has been a goal of his for some time. SAYAS provides a unique platform for collaboration and growth, offering both national and international opportunities to engage with scientific and professional communities. He wanted to join SAYAS because it would enable him to participate in initiatives that elevate his scientific expertise and expand his career horizons.
“I am thrilled to contribute to and learn from this dynamic network. I was delighted to receive the news! It is exciting to think about the opportunities and resources available through SAYAS that can help me make a meaningful impact. I am eager to engage fully, both in learning from my peers and contributing my efforts toward SAYAS’s mission. Sincerely, this membership feels like a significant step in my journey, and I look forward to leveraging the experience to further develop as a scientist,” Dr Akinyelu says.
Deserving of the honour
Prof Carranza is a Fellow (2009-present) of the Association of Applied Geochemists and recently served as its President (2022-2023). He is a Fellow of the Society of Economic Geologists (2012-present) and a member of the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences (2004-present) and the Geochemical Society (2010-present). He was a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Geoscientists (AIG) (2014-2018) and a Registered Professional Geoscientist (2014-2018) with the AIG in the fields of Mineral Exploration, Geochemistry, and Information Geoscience.
Prof Carranza was the recipient of the 2022 William Christian Krumbein Award, the highest award given by the International Association for Mathematical Geosciences (IAMG) to senior scientists for career achievement. The award recognises distinction in the application of mathematics or informatics in the Earth sciences, service to the IAMG, and support to professions involved in Earth sciences.
Prof Reddy says: “It is a distinct honour to be elected to the Academy of Science. A key criterion for membership is significant achievement in the advancement and application of science and scholarship, both nationally and internationally. Members are drawn from a broad spectrum of disciplines. The core function of the Academy is to honour and recognise the country’s most celebrated scholars, who are chosen via secret ballot by their peers. Our newly elected members are deserving of this signal honour and we trust they will support the vision of the ASSAf by using science for the benefit of society.”