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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

Prof Jonathan Jansen bids farewell to Kovsies

2016-08-31

Dear Kovsie staff and students

This is my final message to you all.

I wish to use this opportunity for some brief reflections, share a word of gratitude, and convey a sense of the future for our beloved university.

Since the announcement of my departure, I have had more than a dozen breakfasts with mainly students, but also staff, to offer an opportunity for the final sharing of thoughts and, of course, goodbyes. The most common questions asked at those breakfast sessions were the following, with my responses. I repeat them here, since these might also be of interest or concern to you.

What are your proudest achievements?
Two things. The increase in the academic standard for the UFS, both in terms of admission standards and pass rates, but also in relation to the requirements for appointment and promotion especially of professors. This is important because in a globally competitive world, a university stands or falls by the quality of its degrees. And for this you need the best students and the best professors.

What would you do differently, given another chance?
Nothing. I believe that leadership is about doing the best you can with the cards you are dealt in the circumstances in which you are placed. There is no point in second-guessing past decisions. I have always been ambitious as a leader, knowing that most of my goals would be met, and that some would not. That is normal in large and complex organisations, and so, I do not sit around pondering regrets, only remembering with gratitude the things we could achieve together.

What did you learn?
A lot. I learnt that our students have tremendous capacity for greatness both in their academic pursuits but also in their ability to live, and learn, and love together. I have learnt never to underestimate the capacity of our youth to excel in whatever they do. Sometimes I felt I was more ambitious for our students and staff, than they were for themselves. But I have constantly been surprised by the capacity of young students to rise above bitterness and division, and to make great our campus, country, and continent.

I learnt, again, that the overwhelming majority of our staff and students are good people, respectful of each other, and determined to work together to heal our broken past and build a more just society. And I learnt that it is much more fulfilling to build up than to break down, to embrace than to exclude, and to love than to hate.

Were you frustrated with the pace of transformation?
Sometimes, yes. But fortunately I studied educational organisations all my life, mainly schools and universities. Universities are called institutions for a reason, and on century-old sites like the historic Bloemfontein Campus of the University of the Free State, there are core beliefs, values, and practices deeply ingrained in the culture of the place.

Anyone, therefore, who believes that transformation is easy, has obviously never tried to change an old university. It is difficult. You will get blowback. You will get bad press. You will, sadly, lose the support of some people. Some believe the university is changing too fast while others will tell you it is not changing fast enough. As you press for change, you find the university going two steps forward and one step back; in these circumstances, the solemn duty of the leader is simply to ensure that the overall momentum is always forward.

For such a time as this –
a commemorative journey:
2009-2016 (PDF book)

I therefore budget for disappointment even as I relish the many changes we have experienced together over the past seven years. If you want to obtain an objective sense of the scale of the changes at the UFS, ask those students and staff who were here in 2009, not those who came recently. They will tell you that we have a very different university, even though we all acknowledge that there is still some distance to travel. Our remarkable story of change is told in the recent Transformation Audit of the UFS, chaired by Prof Barney Pityana; that Audit Report will be released after it is read and studied by the University Council at its November meeting.

At an individual level, I learnt that most campus citizens change quickly and others more slowly, and that one has a duty to constantly push for change, but also to be patient about change. And I learnt that the ideal change retains the best of our past even as we embrace a more just and inclusive future in which all campus citizens feel that the university truly belongs to each and every one of them.

Are you optimistic about the future of our university?
Yes. The UFS is a very well-managed university thanks to the exceptional talent in the management of our finances, human resources and information technology environments. By the end of 2016, we will have record enrolments, from undergraduates to doctoral students, which is good for our future income. We run a tight ship with regard to the university’s finances, and we have greatly improved the academic standard of our qualifications; in this regard, I am very proud of my senior management team, and the talented middle management personnel, and those who make things work at the coalface of our operations.

I am very concerned, however, about future funding of the 26 public universities and the extremely vulnerable situation of at least 10 higher-education institutions. The economy is not growing and the costs of running a modern university are escalating. The delays in government commission reports on tuition fees do not help, and there seems no urgency ‘higher up’ to make the tough decisions.

We have to ensure free education for the poorest students — that is the position of your senior management – but we also need to guarantee the financial sustainability of our universities. The task of the UFS leadership, in this period of uncertainty, is to manage those two expectations as best we can. But this cannot happen without your assistance, and I do ask that you provide the new Rector and his or her team with the same understanding and support which I have enjoyed from you.

In conclusion
I am grateful.

To the many hundreds of students who have passed through my office and our home, and who sat in my many lectures and engaged me in your residences – thank you for enriching my sense of life and leadership. I am grateful that Grace and I could support and mentor many of you over the years and see you graduate. I am a better leader because of you.

To the staff of the three campuses – there is no university Rector, I can assure you, who enjoyed more love and support than what you offered me since the day I arrived here. Students come and go, but you have been my foundation year after year, and I thank you for that.

To parents, friends, and followers off-campus, in South Africa and abroad – thank you for hundreds of letters, emails, phone calls, prayers and ‘packages of support’ (from biltong to books). In the most difficult times, you rallied from everywhere with a word of support, often on social media. Know this: your words kept me calm in the storm.

Thank you, everyone.

Goodbye.

Prof Jonathan Jansen
Vice-Chancellor and Rector
University of the Free State

Description: Prof Jansen saying goodbey Tags: Prof Jansen saying goodbey

Prof Jonathan Jansen steps down as UFS Vice-Chancellor and Rector (16 May 2016)

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