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Mischke Bouwer proud recipient of Fulbright scholarship

18 June 2020 | Story Nitha Ramnath | Photo Supplied

Mischke Bouwer was recently awarded a Fulbright scholarship to study her PhD in Geoscience at the Southern Illinois University (SIU). The duration of the programme at SIU is five years, starting in August 2020.

Fulbright is a scholarship programme that recruits students from all over the world in any field of study to do their postgraduate studies in America. This is done through funding from Fulbright, together with the country's government and American universities.

“This is not only a funding scholarship, but a supportive community! It really does feel like teamwork so far. The people from Fulbright ensure that the students feel as comfortable and enlightened as possible when leaving the country, and I am sure it will be the same when I arrive in America,” says Mischke.

Mischke considers herself an average girl who grew up in Pretoria; she enrolled at the UFS for a BSc in Geology from 2014 to 2016, followed by an Honours in Geology in 2017, and MSc in Soil Science.

“I took a big chance by applying for a Fulbright scholarship but did not expect anything, as I felt I would never be good enough – but look where I am now,” says Mischke.

“I am speechless about the scholarship I received. There are many people I would like to thank who helped me along the way to achieve this scholarship. I would love this opportunity to thank all my lecturers from the UFS, both in the departments of Geology and Soil Science. Thanks to my supervisors for always believing in me. A special thanks to Prof Cornie van Huyssteen who was fully behind me, impacting my way of thinking, and teaching me a lot in two years.”

Mischke dedicates this scholarship to the late Prof Marian Tredoux, a true scientist and lecturer in the Department of Geology, who not only contributed greatly to the sciences, but truly impacted her students. “She inspired me to work hard and showed me an example of what a woman in science could be,” says Mischke.

She encourages students to apply for this scholarship, adding that there is nothing to lose. According to Mischke, students are much smarter than they would like to believe and should therefore always be mindful that their future is way brighter than they think.

“Make your role model YOU in 10 years and keep it that way! This way you always have someone to strive for!” says Mischke.

Mischke works on the absorption potential of arsenic and selenium in the field of environmental geochemistry and geochemical modelling. She hopes to return to South Africa with this knowledge and to make a difference in the remediation and rehabilitation of mines.

News Archive

Council approves two senior appointments

2012-03-13

Dr Choice Makhetha and Prof. Hendri Kroukamp
13 March 2012

We are delighted to announce the appointment of Dr Choice Makhetha as Vice-Rector: External Relations, and Prof. Hendri Kroukamp as Dean of the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.

Both appointments were approved on Friday 9 March 2012 by the UFS Council during its quarterly meeting at the Bloemfontein Campus.

“Dr Makhetha is an experienced administrator in higher education and has spent time shadowing the Presidents of Harvard and Spelman Universities in the USA, where she gained invaluable experience in positioning universities for world-class impact,” said Prof. Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS.

Her portfolio will entail external linkages, partnerships and strategic alliances of the university with national and international stakeholders.

Previously, Dr Makhetha was the Special Assistant to the Vice-Chancellor. Before that she was acting Dean: Student Affairs, also at the UFS. She has served as acting Vice-Rector: External Relations since February 2011.

Dr Makhetha obtained a Master’s degree in Political Science from the UFS in 2000 and a Ph.D., also in Political Science, in 2003. She was named the UFS’s Dux student for 1998/99. Dr Makhetha has received many awards for her work and she serves on various boards and committees in South Africa and abroad.

In 2010 and 2011 she was a fellow at Harvard University and Spelman College as part of Higher Education South Africa (HESA)’s Higher Education Leadership and Management programme.

“Prof. Kroukamp is a distinguished academic in the field of Public Administration and a highly experienced manager and leader of academic departments. He has been serving as acting Dean of his faculty since September 2010,” said Prof. Jansen.

Prof. Kroukamp holds a B.A. (Hons.) degree in Public Administration from Stellenbosch University and an M.A. degree from the University of Port Elizabeth (UPE). In 1993 he obtained a qualification in Project Management from the World Bank. He completed a D.Phil. in Public Administration at UPE in 1996, where he was a lecturer. Prof. Kroukamp joined the UFS in 1999 as a professor and Chairperson of the Department of Public Management.

He is the referee of various national and international publications, serves on various publication boards and is a member of various national and international boards and committees.

Prof. Kroukamp, who is a National Research Foundation (NRF)-rated researcher, has received many NRF awards. Amongst these are NRF Overseas International Conference Awards in Turkey, Korea, Poland and France. He has also received a UFS Top Research Award in the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences.

Both appointments apply retrospectively on 1 March 2012.

Media Release
13 March 2012
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Director: Strategic Communication
Tel: +27(0)51 401 2584
Cell: +27(0)83 645 2454
E-mail: news@ufs.ac.za

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