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14 December 2020 | Story André Damons
Dr WA Lombard
Dr WA Lombard from the Department of Agricultural Economics in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences was a winner of the Joseph F Donnermeyer New Scholar Award from the International Society for the Study of Rural Crime.

A researcher and lecturer from the University of the Free State (UFS) Department of Agricultural Economics has received an international award for his research on the economic impact of stock theft in South Africa.

Dr WA Lombard from this department in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences was announced as the winner of the Joseph F Donnermeyer New Scholar Award from the International Society for the Study of Rural Crime (ISSRC) earlier this month (December 2020).

Award for an early-career researcher

Dr Lombard received the award for the research he conducted for the article: ‘Economic impact and factors affecting sheep and goat theft in South Africa’, published in Acta Criminologica: African Journal of Criminology & Victimology. The award is bestowed on an early-career researcher for a publication pertaining to rural criminology during the past 12 months. An early-career researcher is someone who has received a PhD within the past seven years and is showing stable research development.

“Winning this award is a very big honour for me. You always wonder if others view the research you are doing as important. It makes it even more special knowing that researchers from around the world could have won this award. I didn’t think I stood a chance,” said Dr Lombard.

According to him, this was the first award he had entered for after being encouraged by Mr Willie Clark from UNISA’s School for Criminal Justice and chairperson of the Stock Theft Prevention Forum.

Rural-crime research receiving attention

“It is great to know that research conducted by the UFS is considered valuable and of good quality by researchers around the world. It is also good to know that rural-crime research is receiving attention. Many feel this field of research is being neglected,” added Dr Lombard.

The award is named after ISSRC president, Joe Donnermeyer, and acknowledges his many years of work, his pioneering role in rural criminology as a sub-discipline, and his strong and ongoing support and mentorship for emerging academics.

• The other winner is Dr Kate Farhall of the Royal Melbourne Institute of Technology and Melbourne Technical College in Australia.

News Archive

UFS Qwaqwa student off to the USA
2010-03-29

Ayanda Xaba.
Photo: Supplied
Ayanda Xaba, a second-year student from the Department of Political Science of the University of the Free State’s (UFS) Qwaqwa Campus, has been selected as a participant in the Africa English Language Study Programme. The programme is organised by the United States Embassy in Pretoria and 30 candidates from all over Africa have been selected for a training programme of two months in the USA.

Ayanda shall be an incumbent at the University of Delaware (UD) from 21 June-18 August 2010. The programme focuses on language acquisition, leadership skills building and civic education and engagement. The UD programme will include a cultural component that comprises excursions and meetings with civic organisations, journalists, local, state and federal officials that focus on government, media, and other relevant topics.

Although English language acquisition is the main focus of this exchange, grantees will also participate in a leadership seminar and complete a hands-on service project (student-led, staff-supported) in which grantees will volunteer in a niche area that has applicability in their home countries. As a part of this project, participants will develop an action plan outlining steps to initiate and implement a project appropriate to their home community. In order to increase the likelihood of implementation of the project upon their return home, relevant UD staff will provide follow-on online support, trouble-shooting, and monitoring after their departure from campus.

Ayanda has selected to be involved in a programme on Career Guidance for university students. She hopes to implement the training on the Qwaqwa Campus upon her return.

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