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UFS students honoured at 2024 Women in Science Awards

23 August 2024 | Story André Damons | Photo Supplied

Thandokuhle Gama, Dr Glen Tylor and Anele Mthembu — Winners: Thandokuhle Gama (left) and Anele Mthembu (right), who were honoured with the DSI-Esther Mahlangu Master's Fellowship at the 2024 SAWiSA, with Dr Glen Taylor, Senior Director: Directorate Research Development (DRD), UFS.

Two postgraduate students from the University of the Free State (UFS) were honoured at this year’s Women in Science Awards (SAWiSA) hosted by the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI).

Thandokuhle Gama, a Master of Medical Science student with specialisation in Pharmacology, and Anele Mthembu, who is working on her master’s degree in Disaster Management in the Disaster Management Training and Education Centre for Africa (DIMTEC), are both recipients of the DSI-Esther Mahlangu Master's Fellowships.

This fellowship is awarded to women scientists and researchers who are pursuing their master’s or doctoral studies and already hold scholarships from the National Research Foundation or other DSI agencies. The fellowships for Gama and Mthembu are worth R75 000 each and can be used towards their tuition fees or to enhance academic programmes by covering the costs of attending conferences or specialised research materials and equipment required to complete their degrees.

Honouring Dr Esther Mahlangu

The prestigious 2024 SAWiSA, which honour the exceptional contributions of women to science, technology, engineering, mathematics and innovation (STEMI) in South Africa, took place on 15 August 2024 in Mbombela. The theme was “Transition towards an Innovation Economy: The Role of Women Leaders in STEM”.

This year, the awards honoured world-renowned artist, Dr Esther Mahlangu, by renaming this year's master's and doctoral fellowships the DSI-Esther Mahlangu Fellowships.

“I feel honoured and grateful for the recognition, although it's been difficult to process what it actually means. It has been an overwhelming experience. It came as a surprise, because when I applied, I was not sure what to expect because these are national awards with many other applicants,” says Gama.

She was nominated by Innocensia Mangoato, lecturer in the UFS Department of Pharmacology and a previous winner at the awards. Gama is doing research on medicinal plants that are used in traditional medicine to treat diabetes.

“Winning this award means that my work thus far is being recognised. It is all through God’s grace. I'm also grateful to everyone who has contributed towards my journey: my family, teachers, mentors and sponsors, and everyone else. It will allow me to continue to advance research in the field of diabetes treatment using traditional medicines or medicinal plants.”

Bettering lives

Mthembu, who was nominated by her mentor, Dr Tlou Daisy Raphela-Masuku, a lecturer at DIMTEC, says it is a fantastic feeling winning this award. “Before the awards, Dr Raphela-Masuku and I dreamt I could win the SAWiSA. But before then, I was surprised and grateful for being acknowledged by DSI as a finalist; I focused on being a DSI finalist, and that winning would be a bonus,” she says.

She continues: “It means a lot to me to win the DSI Master’s Fellowship, as it is a testimony of God’s grace in my life. It is the destiny for helpers God has placed in my life, including my mentor, supervisor, and the DIMTEC postgraduate school. We all won!”

Mthembu is working her master’s thesis on the integration of risk-informed development (RID) and nature-based solutions (NbS) into sustainable human settlements in eThekwini Municipality, KwaZulu-Natal.

“The overarching aim is to evaluate the integration of both these concepts into human settlements’ strategic planning to offer eThekwini Municipality innovative and ecosystem-based approaches to achieving sustainable and resilient human settlements and achieving Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 11 on building resilient cities.

“I hope to publish my findings and contextualise the enabling environments for RID (EE4RID) Framework in eThekwini Municipality so they can make risk-informed decisions on development and human settlements to achieve SDG 11,” explains Mthembu.

Gama says the aim with her research is to determine if these medicinal plants can treat diabetes by stimulating stem cells to differentiate and become insulin-producing cells. She hopes that through this research diabetes treatment can advance from a level where it is being continuously managed, to a level where we can cure the disease.

News Archive

UFS produces an inspirational Summer Graduation

2016-12-12

Dr Ferial Haffajee, editor-at-large at The Huffington
Post SA, who was conferred with an honorary doctorate,
and Dr Khotso Mokhele, the Chancellor of the
University of the Free State at this year’s Summer Graduation.
Photo: Eugene Seegers

“A graduation ceremony epitomises every student’s academic dream and pursuit, and allows you to look back as you enter the professional career of your choice.”

These were the words of guest speaker Dr Mafu Rakometsi, Chief Executive Officer of Umalusi, that resonated through the Callie Human Centre at this year’s Summer Graduation on the Bloemfontein Campus. He mentioned that today graduates would look back at a journey that started with hesitant steps, and despite all their ups and downs, they had managed to make it this far.

During the afternoon session, Prof Lis Lange, Vice-Rector: Academic, at the University of the Free State (UFS), said that graduations were always an occasion for celebration and this year, there were two reasons for these celebrations.

“The first is simply that we made it through a difficult 2016 and the secondly because we are celebrating two crucial professions that will attribute to the well-being of this country, namely teachers and health practitioners.”

Meaningful graduation ceremony for Ferial Haffajee

This year, the UFS had the privilege and honour to confer editor-at-large at The Huffington Post SA, Ferial Haffajee, with an honorary doctorate in the Faculty of the Humanities.

Speaking after the graduation ceremony, Dr Haffajee said, “It was really, really meaningful for me, because I’ve never been able to graduate. When I finished university, it was during the struggle against apartheid, so we didn’t graduate. It was a wonderful day and wonderful to see the role that young people are playing on this campus.”

“Dr Ferial Haffajee has made a significant contribution to press freedom in South Africa. She is known both nationally and internationally for the work she has done and therefore it is an honour to welcome her as a Kovsie. She is one of the people who represent the values of the UFS. We are proud of her and we wish her great success,” said Prof Milagros Rivera, Head: Department of Communication Science and acting Dean of the Faculty of the Humanities at the UFS.

Photo: Johann Roux

Inspiration drawn from graduation ceremonies

During his address, Dr Khotso Mokhele, the Chancellor of the UFS, made special mention of many that inspired him at the graduation ceremonies.

His inspirations included Dr Ambrotius Swartbooi, who suffered a spinal injury from a near-fatal car accident which left him paralysed and a quadriplegic, yet who still managed to receive his doctorate; Setsoane Ntseki, a matriculant with poise and an incredible voice, who delivered the song item; Judge Ian van der Merwe, Chairperson of the Council at the UFS and a close friend of Dr Mokhele, with whom he worked for many years; as well Dr Haffajee, a trail-blazer that many look up to.

Damian Viviers was recognised as one of the youngest PhD graduates in the Faculty of Law, where he received a PhD in Mercantile Law. He is a research fellow in the Department of Mercantile Law, and was recently appointed as candidate attorney in the commercial department at Phatshoane Henney Attorneys.

In closing, his message to the class of 2016 was simple, that even though the world and our country may find itself in an odd space now, the graduates needed to remember that even though they would become leaders, there was always something bigger than themselves.

“Go out there and do us proud. Come back and plough back into this institution not only with your money, but your skills and time too.”

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