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22 UFS researchers received first NRF rating

29 October 2024 | Story André Damons | Photo Supplied

NRF Researchers 2024 — First NRF rating: From top left: Dr Andronicus Akinyelu, Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Informatics, received his first Y2 rating, Dr Monique de Milander, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences, obtained a C3 rating, while Dr Calvin D. Ullrich, Senior Lecturer in Interdisciplinary Theology: Historical and Constructive Theology, obtained a Y1 rating. Bottom left: Prof Maria Tsakeni, Associate Professor in the School of Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Technology Education, Prof Matildie Wium, Associate Professor in the Odeion School of Music, and Dr Weldemichael Tesfuhuney, a senior lecturer in the Department of Soil, Crop, and Climate Sciences, all obtained a C2 rating.

The list of National Research Foundation (NRF)-rated researchers at the University of the Free State (UFS) is growing, with 22 researchers recently receiving their first NRF rating, and 14 others obtaining new ratings after re-evaluation. This list is expected to grow even more with results slowly filtering in.

Profs Jan van der Watt, Research Fellow in the Department of Old and New Testament Studies, and Felicity Burt from the Division of Virology and SARChI Research Chair in vector-borne and zoonotic pathogens, are the latest NRF B1 rated researchers. While this is Prof Van der Watt’s first NRF rating, Prof Burt has increased her NRF rating from B3 to B1. The UFS now has 10 B1 rated researchers.

In addition to the new rating of Profs Burt and Van der Watt, the UFS also boasts seven new C1 rated researchers, 14 new C2s, five new C3s, seven new Y2s and one Y1 and B3 rated researchers respectively.

Among the researchers who obtained their first NRF ratings are Dr Bimo Abraham Nkhata, Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Environmental Management; Dr Yolandi Schoeman, Senior Lecturer in the Centre for Mineral Biogeochemistry; and Dr Angélique Lewies, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery, who has this year been nominated for the prestigious 2023/2024 NSTF-South32 Awards, popularly known as the “Science Oscars” of South Africa. Dr Nkhata obtained a NRF rating in the C2 category, while both Drs Schoeman and Lewies obtained a Y2 rating.

An honour to be among rated researchers

Other researchers who obtained their first NRF rating include Dr Monique de Milander, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences, who obtained a C3 rating and Prof Maria Tsakeni, Associate Professor in the School of Mathematics, Natural Sciences, and Technology Education, who received a C2 rating.

Dr De Milander, a Kinderkineticist who works with the motor development of young children, says she was very surprised to obtain a C3 rating. “I feel honoured receiving this NRF rating. To know that other researchers are reading my work and finding it relevant. It takes a lot of dedication and patience, since this is an endurance race and not a sprint. You need to work many hours, read a lot of new articles and write the articles themselves.

“In addition, collecting the data is not always possible without the assistance of our students at the Department of Exercise and Sport Sciences as fieldworkers. I would like to acknowledge them because without them my research projects would not always be feasible. Furthermore, the publication process is also timeous, thus a lot of time elapses before you start to see the results of your work,” explains Dr De Milander.

According to her, the current project for her NRF rating is the assessment of motor development, attentional deficit hyperactive disorder, anthropometry and academic performance in low- and high-socio-economic primary school learners in Mangaung.

Prof Tsakeni, whose research focuses on the design and implementation of innovative instructional strategies and curriculum innovations in science classrooms, says she is honoured to be among the rated researchers. “The recognition motivates me to continue pushing myself to climb the ladder of rated researchers. The rating makes me feel affirmed to continue with my research work. I am grateful to the Faculty of Education, the UFS, and the NRF for giving me the opportunity and support.”

She would like to upscale the impact of her research by engaging in large-scale studies, international comparative studies, international collaborations, and one day, be a visiting scholar at some prestigious universities.

“The innovations in science classrooms include integrating inquiry-based practical work, education for sustainable development (ESD) and STEM education. The instructional strategies include inquiry-based learning and integrating educational technologies in the classrooms,” says Prof Tsakeni.

Recognition for long-term academic work

Newly C2 rated researcher, Dr Weldemichael Tesfuhuney, a senior lecturer in the Department of Soil, Crop, and Climate Sciences, says: “As an agrometeorologist by profession, I feel a profound mix of pride and motivation after receiving NRF-rating recognition for my long-term academic work.

“This acknowledgment validates my years of dedication in understanding the intricate relationship between meteorology and agriculture. It boosts my confidence and reaffirms my commitment to advancing my academic and research goals.

“Such recognition is a pivotal moment for me; it serves as a powerful reminder of the impact of my research on agricultural practices, particularly in addressing the challenges posed by climate change in arid and semi-arid regions.”

Dr Tesfuhuney, whose research deepens understanding of how meteorological patterns affect agricultural practices, making a significant contribution to the field of Agrometeorology, has established a robust research portfolio focused on the challenges of meteorology and agriculture in arid and semi-arid regions. He has spearheaded several long-term research initiatives, including In-field Rainwater Harvesting (IRWH) techniques, intercropping practices, micrometeorology, and crop modelling simulations, all aimed at improving crop productivity for smallholder farming communities in rural areas.

Currently, Dr Tesfuhuney is expanding his research on underutilised crops in the region, focusing on how these crops can help smallholder farmers adapt to the impacts of climate change while improving nutritional security.

Work on the right track

Dr Calvin D. Ullrich, Senior Lecturer in Interdisciplinary Theology: Historical and Constructive Theology, who obtained a Y1 rating, says though there is much talk in South African academia about the necessity of an NRF rating which is not always positive (at least in the broader humanities), the NRF does have its strengths.

“I think it pushes one to critically consider one’s work as a whole; to reflect on its current shape and to identify lacuna within a broader trajectory. There is something generative about this process in and of itself. Feelings of relief but also of affirmation then: a rigorous peer-review system which acts as a metric, according to which one might be able to say, ‘my work is somehow on the right track’ — I think there is certainly value in that.”

According to Dr Ullrich, pursuing your research and making critical interventions into your field, means the rating can follow as a necessary consequence. Research for him, he continues, like most academics, is deeply personal and exhilarating, and so acquiring the rating can also be seen as just another internal aspect of the research process as opposed to being contingent to it.

He has several research projects currently in the research pipeline including smaller writing projects relating to eco-phenomenology and eco-theology and political theology in South Africa. A larger project, scheduled to begin later next year and continuing for the next three years (2025-2028), involves a more intense investigation of the social dimensions of ‘affects’ and how this could be deployed within the specific social context of faith communities.

It’s humbling

For Prof Matildie Wium, Associate Professor in the Odeion School of Music, her first C2 rating is not only an honour for her contribution to her field, but also a humbling moment, because the experience of applying for a rating makes clear how much room remains for growth.

Her research has two main focus areas: (a) 20th-century South African art music, studied from an analytical-hermeneutic perspective, and (b) the musical practices and experiences of mid-19th-century female opera singers in London, studied by means of archival documents.

“I am currently working on converting conference papers I had delivered recently into articles, mainly on the South African art music side of my endeavours. There are papers about Mimi Coertse (in collaboration with my colleague Dr Albertus Engelbrecht), Hubert du Plessis’s Opus 24 (in collaboration with my past student Dr Melissa Gerber), and Michael Mosoeu Moerane’s tone poem Fatshe la Heso under development.

“I am also co-writing a paper analysing some items from ethnomusicologist Gerhard Kubik’s archive of Àló (Yoruba storytelling) with my colleague Dr Joseph Kunnuji,” says Prof Wium.

Dedication, resilience, and strategic focus

Dr Andronicus Akinyelu, Lecturer in the Department of Computer Science and Informatics, called his first Y2 rating incredibly rewarding as it reaffirms his hard work and perseverance have not been in vain. “It also serves as a great source of motivation for me to continue pushing boundaries and striving for excellence in my academic and research pursuits. I am deeply grateful to God for this achievement. I am delighted to have been successful. It is an important milestone in my academic journey,” he says.

According to him, achieving an NRF rating requires a combination of dedication, resilience, and strategic focus. It involves publishing high-quality research in top-tier journals, supervising postgraduate students, and contributing significantly as a first or corresponding author on various projects.

“My research spans multiple cutting-edge areas, including machine learning, deep learning, computer vision, medical diagnosis, sustainable agriculture, and responsible artificial intelligence (AI). Currently, I’m collaborating with international researchers to develop deep-learning techniques that predict treatment responses in cancer patients.

“This research has the potential to significantly advance personalised medicine by enabling more accurate and timely interventions. Additionally, I am deeply committed to promoting responsible AI by developing frameworks and models that prioritise ethics in AI systems,” says Dr Akinyelu.

Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research and Internationalisation says: “Congratulations to all our newly rated researchers. We are expecting more in the coming months as the results of applications slowly filter in. We are extremely proud of our rated researchers for the recognition they have received. This is in large part the result of their contribution to producing high-quality research. There are many benefits that accrue to our researchers who are rated, namely an investment in their scholarship, including UFS support, as well as opportunities to further enhance their academic trajectory.”

Other researchers who obtained their first NRF rating:

Dr Ernie Langner (Department of Chemistry, C2)
Prof Danrè Strydom (Odeion School of Music, C3)
Prof Lizemari Hugo (School of Nursing, Y2)
Prof V.R Clark (Director: Afromontane Research Unit, C1)
Dr Clement Masakure (Department of History, C2)
Prof Mariette Reyneke (Department of Public Law, C2)
Dr Soumya Ghosh (Department of Genetics, C3)
Prof Patricks V Otomo (Department of Zoology and Entomology, C2)
Dr Tafadzwa Maramura (Department of Public Administration and Management, Y2)
Dr Yibeltal Terefe (Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics, C3)
Dr Bianca Naude (Department of Political Studies and Governance, Y2)
Dr Andronicus Akinyelu (Department of Computer Science and Informatics, Y2)
Dr Sogo Abolarin (Office of the Dean: Natural Sciences, Y2)

Researchers who obtained a new rating after re-evaluation:

Prof Carlien Pohl-Albertyn (Microbiology and Biochemistry, went from a C2 to C1 rating)
Dr Kate Law (International Studies Group, C1 previously Y1)
Prof Paul Fouche (Department Psychology, C1 previously C3)
Prof Michelle Engelbrecht (Centre for Health Systems Research & Development, went from C3 to C2)
Dr Joseph Sempa (Department of Biostatistics, C3 previously Y2)
Prof Oliver Nyambi (Department of English, went from Y1 to C1)
Dr Marianne Conradie-Bekker (Department of Chemistry, went from Y2 to C2)
Dr Marieka Gryzenhout (Department of Genetics, C1 previously C2)
Prof Martin Nyaga (Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) Unit, previously held a Y2 now a B3)
Prof Botma Visser (Plant Sciences, went from C2 to C1)
Prof Kobus Schoeman (Practical and Missional Theology, went from C3 to C2)
Prof Louise Van Den Berg (Nutrition and Dietetics, C3 to C2)
Prof Christoph Gauert (Geology, went from C3 to C2)

News Archive

Open letter from Prof Jonathan Jansen to all UFS students

2014-02-22

Dear Students of the University of the Free State

In the past four years there has emerged a new consensus on the three campuses of the University of the Free State (UFS) about the things that divide us – such as racism, sexism and homophobia. Students and campus leaders have worked hard to develop this new consensus in residences and in the open spaces on campus. There can be no doubt that new bonds of friendship have developed across the markers of race, ethnicity, class, religion and sexual orientation. I bear witness to these new solidarities every day on the campus.

You chose a white student to head up the transformation portfolio on the SRC. You chose a black captain to head up the university’s first team in rugby. You chose a white “prime” as head of residence to lead a predominantly black men’s residence. You chose a South African woman of Indian descent as Rag Queen and last week, a black student from Cape Town as the men’s Rag winner—choices not possible and never made before in our campus history. Many of you have intimate friends who come from different social or cultural or religious backgrounds. You learn together, share rooms together, pray together and party together. In other words, in the day to day workings of this university campus, you have demonstrated to campus, city and country that we can overcome the lingering effects of racism and other maladies in this new generation. You have helped create a university community inclusive of people of diverse religions, abilities, class and sexual orientation.

I have said this repeatedly that from time to time this new consensus will be tested – when a minority of students, and they are a small and dwindling minority, still act as if these are the days of apartheid. And when that consensus is tested as it was this week, and as it will be tested in the future, only then we will be able to assess the strength and durability of our progress in creating a new South African campus culture of human togetherness based on respect, dignity and embrace.

The real test of our leadership, including student leadership, is how we respond when our transformation drive is threatened.

Let me say this: I have absolute faith in you, as students of this great university, to stand together in your condemnation of these vile acts of violence and to move together in your determination to maintain the momentum for the Human Project of the University of the Free State. We have come too far to allow a few criminals to derail what you have built together in recent years.

There will, no doubt, be unscrupulous people on all sides of the political spectrum wanting to milk this tragedy for their own narrow purposes. There will be false information, rumours and exaggerations by those who wish to inflame a bad situation to gain mileage for their agendas. That is inevitable in a country that is still so divided.

I ask you, through all of this, to keep perspective. Two or ten or even twenty students behaving badly do not represent 30,000 students; a minority of violent and hateful persons do not represent the ideals, ambitions and commitments of the majority. At the same time, let us be realistic – anyone who thinks you can drive transformation without resistance clearly does not understand the difficult process of change.

The events of the week remind us, however, that we still have a long road to walk in deepening social and academic transformation at our university. Yes, we have invested hundreds of hours in training and mentorship; we have created new structures – such as the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice – to capture the energy and imagination of students driving transformation; we have created many opportunities for students to study and travel on this and other continents to enable cross-cultural learning; we have established formal and informal opportunities to dialogue about difficult issues on and off campus between students and their leaders; and we crafted new curricula to enable teaching and learning on the big questions of our times.

But this is clearly not enough, and so I have decided on the following immediate next steps:

We will meet for several hours next week to think about how we can deepen the transformation of our university after this terrible incident.
We will arrange a University Assembly on the events of the past week so that we speak with one voice on human wrongs and to re-commit to human rights and we will continue with open forum discussions during the months to come.
We will review the entire spectrum of programmes, from orientation to residence life to the undergraduate curriculum, to determine how effective our interventions really are in reaching all students with respect to basic issues of human rights.
We will review our media and communications strategy to determine how far and deep our messages on human rights travel across all sectors of the university community. In this regard it is important that the campus be blanketed on a regular basis with our condemnation of human wrongs and our commitment to human rights.
We will commission the Institute for Reconciliation and Social Justice to review the events of the past week and make recommendations on how we can improve the campus environment so that all students are protected from harm inside residences, classrooms and in open spaces of the campus.
We will take the questions raised during this week into the academic community and to the general staff of the university so that all personnel also engage with our own roles and responsibilities with respect to campus transformations.
We undertake to make annual report-backs on transformation to all stakeholders in public forums so that students and staff and external communities can track the progress of the university on matters of human rights on campus.

I wish to thank my staff for acting firmly as soon as this tragic event came to our attention. We worked through the night to find and identify the perpetrators. We traced the two students and immediately handed them to the police. They were expelled. And throughout this process we offered counselling and support to the victim of this violent act.

The two former students were expelled and will now face justice in the criminal courts. It is hoped that in the course of time they will come to their senses and seek restoration and reconciliation with the student they so callously harmed. They are not part of the university community anymore.

That is the kind of university we are.

Jonathan D Jansen
Vice-Chancellor and Rector
University of the Free State
20 February 2014

Note: The use of the word ‘campus’ refers to all three campuses of the UFS, namely the Bloemfontein Campus, South Campus and Qwaqwa Campus.

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