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13 June 2023 | Story Brent Jammer | Photo Supplied
Brent Jammer
Brent Jammer, Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Economics

The University of the Free State (UFS) is celebrating Youth Month by showcasing the positive influence of the institution on career development. As part of this initiative, we are sharing the stories of UFS alumni who are now working at the university.

Brent Jammer, Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Economics, shares his UFS journey:

Q: Year of graduation from the UFS:

A: 2017, 2018, 2019

Q: Qualification obtained from the UFS:
A: I obtained my undergraduate degree in Agricultural Management with distinction in 2017 and received the ABSA award for best Bachelor of Agriculture final-year student at the faculty awards. In 2018, I obtained my honours degree in Agricultural Management with distinction and received the Standard Bank award for best BAgric Management honours student at the faculty awards. In 2019, I obtained my master’s degree in Agricultural Management.

Q: Date of joining the UFS as a staff member:
A: I joined the university as a permanent staff member (Lecturer) in September 2022. 

Q: Initial job title and current job title:

A: After completing my studies, I went on to work as a production manager on a commercial farm where I managed approximately 1 500 sheep. I returned to the university in 2022 and was then appointed as a Lecturer in the Department of Agricultural Economics.

Q: How did the UFS prepare you for the professional world?

A: The UFS served as a great foundation where I built my expertise with the knowledge and skills that I gained while studying at the university. The biggest advantage of being a UFS graduate is my ability to adapt in any space outside my comfort zone, which in turn made me excel in my field. The UFS Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Science is indeed the front runner in producing excellent students who can make a difference in the agricultural industry.

Q: What are your thoughts on transitioning from a UFS alumnus to a staff member?

A: Transitioning from UFS alumnus to a staff member is still a dream come true for me, and it's actually funny that the people who taught me during undergraduate studies are now my colleagues. So, being among them and getting so much support is what makes me feel at home at the university.

Q: Any additional comments about your experience?
A: Additionally, I am also an emerging cattle farmer, where I implement all the skills I obtained from the university in practice. I farm with approximately 70 cattle where I employ youth members from my community as a means of ploughing back in order to reduce unemployment and enhancing livelihoods.

News Archive

Spring Graduation
2011-09-12

 

Our university will be awarding altogether 91 diplomas/certificates and 624 degrees during the Spring Graduation Ceremony on 14 and 15 September 2011. Of these, 23 doctorates and two honorary doctorates will also be awarded.

As with this year’s Autumn Graduation Ceremony, we will be making the ceremony more accessible to students and the public. Two appearances, in particular, can be looked forward to on this occasion: a national concert pianist in Grade 12 from Voortrekker High School in Bethlehem, Caryn Reed, and a continental debating champion and second-year student in our Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences, Sibusiso Tshabalala, as guest speaker.
 
All the master’s and doctoral degrees of the various faculties will once again be awarded during one ceremony on 15 September 2011.
 
Prof. Robert Frater, Emeritus Professor in Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery, and Emeritus Professor of Paediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine and Montefiore Medical Centre, New York, will be receiving an honorary doctorate in Medical Science. As a teacher and trainer, Prof. Frater has influenced many surgeons in his training role in the wards, operating room and intensive care facility. Dr Akilagpa Sawyerr, an academic from Ghana, will be receiving an honorary doctorate in Education for groundbreaking work done on the African continent. Dr Sawyerr, who is a member of our International Advisory Council, has visiting appointments at prestigious universities, such as the famous Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University. He also has visiting status at the Harvard Law School and the Yale Law School.
 
The full programme for the various ceremonies is:
  • Wednesday, 14 September 2011:
At 10:15, the degrees will be awarded to students of the Faculties of Humanities, Education, Law and Theology. Diplomas/certificates up until honours degrees will be awarded. This excludes the Certificate in Education, National Professional Diploma in Education and the Advanced Education Certificate.
 
At 15:15, degrees will be awarded to students in the Faculties of Economic and Management Sciences and Natural- and Agricultural Sciences and Health Sciences. Diplomas/Certificates up until honours degrees will be awarded.
  •  Thursday, 15 September 2011:
At 10:15, a total of 125 master’s and doctoral degrees plus two honorary doctorates will be awarded by all the faculties in a joint ceremony.
 
The Chancellor’s Dinner will also take place on the same day.

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