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27 July 2020 | Story Nonsindiso Qwabe | Photo Charl Devenish
Ronet Vrey.

She is affectionately called ‘Tannie Ronet’ by the dozens of students coming her way, and Faculty of Education librarian Ronet Vrey would not have it any other way. While Vrey loves to remain behind the scenes, her passion for students makes her a big hit with every student crossing her path at the University of the Free State Library and Information Services on the Bloemfontein Campus. 

Vrey has been a librarian for as long as she can remember; a path she says was inspired by her educator mother. But instead of standing in front of a class, she gets to invest in students' academic journeys by being a helping hand in times of need. She is a UFS alumna, having graduated in 1988 with a degree in Library and Information Sciences, specialising in Education, Library Services, and Technology. 

"I was interested in library information services because back then, we were exploring the use of computers and moving in the direction of technology. Little did we know about digitisation and curation that would follow."

In 2005, she started working as librarian for the Faculty of the Humanities, before working jointly for the Faculties of the Humanities and Education. Since 2011, she has focused solely on the Faculty of Education, serving as the link between the library and the faculty. "I am supposed to focus only on students from the first year to honours level, but because of the relationships built there, many students often choose to stay with me. When they come to me for help, I don't say no," she says.

Information literacy a lifelong skill

Vrey shares the love for her job with her fellow librarians from other faculties. In 2019, the group presented a paper on embedded librarianship at the International Conference on Information Literacy (ICIL). She said they are in the process of having their paper published. "We want to be embedded in faculties in order to make students at the UFS information literate. If we can teach students information literacy skills to help themselves, we will have lifelong learners who can develop all the time, and you would have established a community of lifelong learners," she said.

One student who has benefited from Vrey's dedication and passion for students, is Dr Norma Lehasa, who obtained her PhD in 2019 after a seven-year journey due to ill health.

Vrey known as beacon of hope

Lehasa met Vrey in 2016, and says she owes her success to the likes of Vrey. Lehasa said each year when students graduate, it is people like Vrey who are supporting them behind the scenes to reach their goals. 

"My wonderful librarian, Ronet, made me focus and never give up. She used to go the extra mile for me, even teaching me how to use the resources to search for literature myself. The outcome of me being a Doctor of Philosophy today is because of people like Ronet. People like her need to be recognised for the good work that they do," Lehasa said.
Lehasa's PhD topic was: An Adult Learning Perspective on Professional Development in the Human Resources Department of the Free State Premier.

News Archive

Her mission: Looking for viruses
2017-10-03

Description: Burt readmore Tags: Prof Felicity Burt, Felicity Burt, inaugural lecture, medical virology, UFS Faculty of Health Sciences, arboviruses 

Prof Felicity Burt delivering her inaugural lecture,
Catching a Virus
Photo: Stephen Collett

“Preparing and presenting an inaugural lecture is an opportunity to look back at one’s career and to enjoy previous highlights and achievements; to share these, not only with colleagues, but also with family and friends.”

This is according to Prof Felicity Burt, who recently presented her inaugural lecture, Catching a Virus. Prof Burt is a professor in medical virology in the Faculty of Health Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS). It may sound ominous, but it is a story about identifying viruses, and finding and stopping them in their tracks in nature.

Research focus on arbo- and zoonotic viruses 
“My research focuses on arboviruses and zoonotic viruses,” said Prof Burt. “Arboviruses are viruses that are transmitted by insect vectors, such as mosquitoes, ticks, midges or sandflies, whereas zoonotic viruses are naturally transmitted from animals to humans. However, there is a considerable overlap between these two groups.” The research looks at host responses, virus discovery and surveillance in order to identify which of the viruses in circulation have the potential to cause human diseases.

“Emerging and re-emerging viruses have significant implications for public health,” said Prof Burt at the start of her lecture. She also stated that there have been disease outbreaks of unprecedented magnitude, which have spread and established in distinct geographic regions. “Many of these emerging viruses are transmitted by vectors or are spread to humans from animals. These viruses can cause significant diseases in humans,” said Prof Burt. 

There are many reasons why these viruses re-emerge, such as global warming, human invasion in forested areas, changes in agricultural practices, international travel, as well as the illegal movement of animals. Prof Burt used the Zika virus as an example of a recent emerging virus. 

More than 20 years’ experience 

With more than 20 years’ experience and a PhD in medical virology from the University of the Witwatersrand, Prof Burt is a renowned specialist. She has worked in the Special Pathogens Unit at the National Institute for Communicable Diseases, and was a member of various teams responding to outbreaks of Ebola and Rift Valley fever in Africa and Saudi Arabia, respectively. She is co-author of more than 51 articles in international scientific journals, as well as six chapters on arboviruses. In 2016, she was awarded a SARChl research chair by the South African Research Chair Initiative for her research on vector-borne and zoonotic diseases.

Click here to read the full lecture.

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