Latest News Archive
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News Items
| 2022-01-28 |
Prof Smit elected as member of prestigious American Association for Thoracic Surgery |
| 2022-01-28 |
Prof Smit elected as member of prestigious American Association for Thoracic Surgery |
| 2022-01-28 |
Opinion: Ramaphosa vs Sisulu scold war: Winning hearts and minds of constituents |
| 2022-01-28 |
Opinion: Ramaphosa vs Sisulu scold war: Winning hearts and minds of constituents |
| 2022-01-27 |
“I will never stop creating,” says filmmaker, Mpendulo Myeni |
| 2022-01-27 |
“I will never stop creating,” says filmmaker, Mpendulo Myeni |
| 2022-01-27 |
UFS made steady progress in its research performance over the past five years |
| 2022-01-27 |
UFS made steady progress in its research performance over the past five years |
| 2022-01-26 |
UFS extends its condolences on the passing of Theological giant, Prof Jaap Durand |
| 2022-01-26 |
UFS extends its condolences on the passing of Theological giant, Prof Jaap Durand |
| 2022-01-26 |
UFS proud of remarkable 2021 Free State NSC matric results |
| 2022-01-26 |
UFS proud of remarkable 2021 Free State NSC matric results |
| 2022-01-24 |
Dr Bekithemba Dube advancing decoloniality agenda beyond African borders |
| 2022-01-24 |
Dr Bekithemba Dube advancing decoloniality agenda beyond African borders |
| 2022-01-21 |
New Director for Innovation and Contracts ready to engage and support researchers |
| 2022-01-21 |
New Director for Innovation and Contracts ready to engage and support researchers |
| 2022-01-20 |
UFS United Kingdom Chapter aims to reconnect with alumni |
| 2022-01-20 |
UFS United Kingdom Chapter aims to reconnect with alumni |
| 2022-01-20 |
Mercia Geises – from UFS student to Chief Executive of Standard Bank Namibia |
| 2022-01-20 |
Mercia Geises – from UFS student to Chief Executive of Standard Bank Namibia |
| 2022-01-20 |
Multilingualism initiatives gaining momentum |
| 2022-01-20 |
Multilingualism initiatives gaining momentum |
| 2022-01-19 |
Yes, Mmusi, but all begins with reconfiguring the South African curriculum |
| 2022-01-19 |
Yes, Mmusi, but all begins with reconfiguring the South African curriculum |
| 2022-01-18 |
MBA at 73 – more to come for Prof Andries Stulting |
| 2022-01-18 |
MBA at 73 – more to come for Prof Andries Stulting |
| 2022-01-10 |
Miratho project finds universities could do more to enable black working-class students to participate and succeed |
| 2022-01-10 |
Miratho project finds universities could do more to enable black working-class students to participate and succeed |
| 2022-01-13 |
Zondo Commission findings: A permanent change in SA politics |
| 2022-01-13 |
Zondo Commission findings: A permanent change in SA politics |
| 2022-01-10 |
How UFS research assists teachers in identifying children who need developmental help |
| 2022-01-10 |
How UFS research assists teachers in identifying children who need developmental help |
| 2022-01-03 |
Magic mushrooms, a first formal study |
| 2022-01-03 |
Magic mushrooms, a first formal study |
| 2022-01-03 |
A passion for excellence |
| 2022-01-03 |
A passion for excellence |
| 2022-01-03 |
UFS implements interventions to increase diversity of researchers |
| 2022-01-03 |
UFS implements interventions to increase diversity of researchers |
| 2022-01-10 |
Dr Mpumelelo Ncube driven by the need to succeed and inspire |
| 2022-01-10 |
Dr Mpumelelo Ncube driven by the need to succeed and inspire |
| 2022-01-03 |
Aoate Tsimatsima leads student-sourcing antibiotic discovery network |
| 2022-01-03 |
Aoate Tsimatsima leads student-sourcing antibiotic discovery network |
nGAP lecturers welcomed by the UFS academic community
2016-06-30
University of the Free State’s newly-appointed nGAP
lecturers. From the left, Neo Mathinya,
Phumudzo Tharaga, and Kelebogile Boleu.
The University of the Free State (UFS) was allocated six positions as part of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) New Generation of Academics Programme (nGAP). Four candidates have filled positions in the Faculty of Health Sciences, Faculty of the Humanities and the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences – with two positions still vacant.
According to Minister of Higher Education and Training, Dr Blade Nzimande, nGAP is part of the Staffing South Africa's Universities Framework, which focuses on the expansion of the size and compilation of academic staff at South African universities, especially with regard to transformation. The focus of the programme is the appointment of black and coloured candidates as well as women.
The Department of Soil, Crop, and Climate Sciences in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences welcomed two nGAP lecturers, Phumudzo Tharaga and Neo Mathinya. The Faculty was allocated four positions. Two positions are filled, while two positions in the Department of Animal and Wildlife Sciences are almost ready to be filled with exceptional candidates.
Agrometeorologist with his feet on the ground
Phumudzo Tharaga holds an MSc from the UFS, and is currently pursuing a PhD. Tharaga’s research focuses on quantifying the water use efficiency of sweet cherry orchards under different climate conditions in the Eastern Free State. Tharaga will offer his students a wealth of practical experience, which he began accumulating while working at ABSA as an agro-meteorologist, before moving on to become a senior scientist at the South African Weather Service. In 2015, Tharaga became a research technologist at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) and then returned to the UFS as an nGAP candidate at the beginning of 2016.
Beynon Abrahams, nGap lecturer
at the Faculty of Heath Sciences
Department of Basic medicine
Motivated scholar turned academic
Neo Mathinya, who hails from Taung in the North West, has made the UFS her home. She received both her undergraduate and honours degrees from the university. Apart from joining the department as a lecturer under the nGAP initiative, she is currently studying for her MSc in Soil Physics. She will continue with this research when she comes to her PhD. Mathinya’s research focuses on soil salinity - the process of increasing salt content - which affects the ability of plants to take up water, a process, known as osmotic stress. She will investigate the effects of irrigation water salinity on the grain yield and quality of malt barley.
Researcher with a passion for crime prevention
Kelebogile Boleu joined the Department of Criminology in the Faculty of Humanities, with a fresh take on diversion and crime prevention. Boleu holds a BA Criminology (Hons) and is now pursuing her Master’s degree. She worked for NICRO a non-profit organisation specialising in social crime prevention and offender reintegration, with programmes that prevent young and first-time offenders from re-offending, thus reducing crime. Boleu said that her practical experience makes her lectures to third-year criminology students exciting. Boleu’s research focuses on analysing the value of pre-sentencing reports in assisting adjudicators to make well-balanced judgments in cases.
Research with a winning plan for fight against breast cancer
Beynon Abrahams joined the Department of Basic Medical Sciences in the Faculty of Health Sciences. Abrahams holds a BSc, BSc (Hons), and MSc in Medical Biosciences from the University of the Western Cape. Abrahams’ Master’s research focused on breast cancer, research on which he is building in his PhD. This doctoral research involves the exploration of P-glycoprotein, a protein expressed on cancer cell and responsible for multi-drug resistance in cancer treatment. The aim of this research is to develop a therapeutic drug treatment strategy that will improve breast cancer patient survival outcomes. Abrahams’s greater vision is to look at conventional cancer therapeutic regimens, to find ways in which they can be improved.
The nGAP initiative offers these young lecturers an opportunity for growth and development as academics, while providing them with opportunities they would have not have been exposed to otherwise.