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28 May 2024 | Story Jacky Tshokwe | Photo supplied
Reading Culture
The University of the Free State Faculty of Humanities and the Library Information Services proudly established a brand-new school library at Kagisano Combined School on 14 May 2024.

In a bid to cultivate a culture of reading within the community and bolster the University of the Free State's (UFS) Vision 130, the Faculty of The Humanities has embarked on a transformative journey of collaboration with the Library Information Services (LIS). This partnership symbolises a commitment to not only academic excellence, but also social responsibility, aiming to make a tangible difference in the lives of those within our community.

On 14 May, the Dean’s office – in synergy with LIS and the Department of Plant Sciences – undertook a meaningful venture at Kagisano Combined School in Ikgomotseng to establish a school library, making it an engaging and welcoming space for learners.

Led by Dr Dimitri Veldkornet and supported by four dedicated PhD candidates, the Department of Plant Sciences has made a remarkable impact by enhancing the library's surroundings with indigenous flowers. Beyond mere beautification, this initiative also served as an educational opportunity, as five learners from the school were trained to care for these plants, fostering a sense of ownership and environmental stewardship.

Colleagues from LIS meticulously and simultaneously organised the library space, ensuring that reading materials were properly catalogued and shelved for easy access. In addition, LIS generously donated furniture, including shelves, tables, and chairs, to create an inviting environment conducive to learning and exploration.

The collaborative effort extended beyond academic circles, as the community of Ikgomotseng and Letsatsi Trust demonstrated remarkable hospitality by combining resources to provide refreshments for UFS colleagues and community members involved in the initiative. This gesture exemplifies the power of collective action and highlights the interconnectedness between the university and its surrounding communities.

By revitalising the school library and fostering a culture of reading, this partnership exemplifies the core values of social responsibility and community engagement espoused by the UFS. Moreover, it underscores the university's commitment to Vision 130, which envisions a future where education transcends the confines of academia to positively impact society at large.

As we continue to forge ahead, let us remember that true progress is measured not only by academic achievements, but also by the meaningful contributions we make to the communities we serve. Together, through collaboration and compassion, we can create a brighter, more inclusive future for all. 

News Archive

Mineral named after UFS professor
2017-09-29

Description: Mineral tredoux Tags: International Mineralogical Association, tredouxite, Prof Marian Tredoux, Department of Geology, Barberton 

Tredouxite (white) intergrown with bottinoite (light grey),
a complex hydrous alteration product. The large host
minerals are nickel-rich silicate (grey), maybe willemseite,
and the spinel trevorite (dark grey).


More than five thousand minerals have been certified by the International Mineralogical Association (IMA). One of these minerals, tredouxite, was recently named after an academic at the University of the Free State (UFS). 

Tredouxite was named after Prof Marian Tredoux, an associate professor in the Department of Geology, to acknowledge her close to 30 years’ commitment to figuring out the geological history of the rock in which this mineral occurs. The name was chosen by the team which identified the new mineral, consisting of Dr Federica Zaccarini and Prof. Giorgio Garuti from the University of Leoben, Austria, Prof. Luca Bindi from the University of Florence, Italy, and Prof. Duncan Miller from the UFS. 

They found the mineral in the abovementioned rock from the Barberton region in Mpumalanga, in May 2017.

In the past, a mineral was also named after Marie Curie
With the exception of a few historical (pre-1800) names, a mineral is typically named either after the area where it was first found, or after its chemical composition or physical properties, or after a person. If named after a person, it has to be someone who had nothing to do with finding the mineral.

Prof Tredoux said: “As of 19 September 2017, 5292 minerals had been certified by IMA. Of these, 81 were named after women, either singly or with a near relation. Marie Curie is named twice: sklodowskite (herself) and curite (plus husband). Most of the named women are Russian geoscientists.”

Another way to assess the rarity of such a naming is to consider that fewer than 700 minerals have been named after people. Given that there are by now seven billion people on the planet, it means that a person who is granted a mineral name becomes one in 10 million of the people alive today to be honoured in such a way. To date, over a dozen minerals had been named after South Africans, three of them after women (including tredouxite).

It contains nickel, antimony and oxygen
The chemical composition of tredouxite is NiSb2O6 (nickel antimony oxide). This makes it the nickel equivalent of the magnesium mineral bystromite (MgSb2O6), described in the 1950s from the La Fortuna antimony mine in Mexico.  

“This announcement is of great academic importance: the discovery by the Italian team of a phase with that specific chemical composition will undoubtedly help me and my co-workers to better understand the origin of the rock itself,” she said. She also expressed the hope that it may raise interest in the Department of Geology and the UFS as a whole, by highlighting that world-class research is being done at the department. 

The announcement of this new mineral was published on the International Mineralogical Association Commission on New Minerals, Nomenclature and Classification website, the Mineralogical Magazine and the European Journal of Mineralogy.

 

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