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16 April 2025 | Story Precious Shamase | Photo Supplied
Qwaqwa NAS Achievements
From left to right Prof Richard Ocaya is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics, Dr Tebogo Motsei and Dr Kamohelo Tshabalala

The Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (NAS) at the University of the Free State (UFS) Qwaqwa Campus is celebrating a year of remarkable achievements, showcasing the dedication and brilliance of its students and faculty. The 2024 academic year has been marked by outstanding academic performance, prestigious awards, and groundbreaking research, solidifying the faculty's commitment to excellence.


Academic excellence shines bright

The faculty's commitment to rigorous academic standards has yielded impressive results. This year, four doctoral candidates successfully obtained their PhDs, contributing valuable research to their respective fields. Furthermore, the dedication of the honours and master’s students was evident in their exceptional performance. Out of 25 honours students, an impressive 11 achieved distinctions, demonstrating their mastery of their subjects. Similarly, 5 out of 10 master’s students passed with distinctions, a testament to their advanced research capabilities and academic prowess.


Dr Tebogo Motsei: A beacon of innovation and excellence

Among the faculty's many successes, the achievement of Dr Tebogo Motsei stands out as a testament to the calibre of talent being nurtured on the UFS Qwaqwa Campus. Dr Motsei, who recently graduated from the campus, was awarded the prestigious CV Raman Scholarship by the Government of the Republic of India – a recognition bestowed upon only the most promising postgraduate students.

This highly competitive scholarship, named after the Nobel prize-winning physicist Chandrasekhara Venkata Raman, provided recipients with a six-month research opportunity in India. Dr Motsei conducted her research at the esteemed Central Electrochemical Research Institute (CECRI), under the guidance of Prof Arul Manuel Stephan and Prof Sabu Thomas, Vice-Chancellor of the Mahatma Gandhi University. CECRI – one of the most difficult Indian institutes to get admitted into – is part of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR).

Dr Motsei’s research focused on sodium-ion batteries and supercapacitors with lithium-sulphur integration, resulting in significant advancements in energy storage devices. Her innovative work has the potential to revolutionise the field, contributing to more efficient and sustainable energy solutions.   

Adding to her achievements, Dr Motsei also established Lesedi Innovations Pty, a company dedicated to the manufacturing of button batteries and cells of the CR2032 and 18650 form factors. This entrepreneurial endeavour highlights her commitment to translating research into practical applications that benefit society.

For her PhD studies, she was supervised by Prof Richard Ocaya in the Department of Physics, and co-supervised by Dr Kamohelo Tshabalala, Senior Lecturer in the Department of Physics. Prof Ocaya, proud of Motsei’s achievements, believes that this fellowship not only serves as a great motivation for students – especially on the Qwaqwa Campus – but also highlights the global relevance of the UFS, particularly the Department of Physics.


A message of pride and congratulations

Prof Aliza le Roux, Assistant Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, expressed her immense pride in the students and staff. "I would like to congratulate the NAS students and staff members on this fantastic achievement – it’s a sign of people going out of their way to do their best and make their research work despite any obstacles thrown in their way. These distinctions show that we have smart, dedicated, creative people in NAS, and I’m very proud of all of them. For students, this means great opportunities ahead, and for staff, it is a sure sign that they did something right in their mentorship and teaching. Thank you to this wonderful team," concluded Prof Le Roux.

The UFS Qwaqwa Campus congratulates all the graduates, distinguished students, and dedicated staff of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. Their accomplishments are a testament to the university's commitment to fostering academic excellence and innovation. The faculty continues to fly the UFS flag high, inspiring future generations of scientists and researchers.

News Archive

Top-class musicians appointed in UFS Odeion String Quartet
2008-11-02

 

From the left are: Denise Sutton, first violinist and leader of the string quartet, Sharon de Kock, second violinist, Jeanne-Louise Moolman, violist, and Anmari van der Westhuizen, cellist. 
 Photo: Dries Myburgh

 The University of the Free State (UFS) has recently appointed four acclaimed, top class musicians in its Odeion String Quartet. The quartet, which was established in 1991, is the only resident quartet at a South African university.

The new members who have been appointed are: Denise Sutton, first violinist and leader of the string quartet, Sharon de Kock, second violinist, Jeanne-Louise Moolman, violist, and Anmari van der Westhuizen, cellist. Anmari is the latest addition to the quartet.

Denise Sutton is well-known, inter alia, as longtime concert master of the PACT orchestra, as leader of the Rosemunde Quartet, for her involvement with the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa (COSA), and as a inspiring teacher at the University of Pretoria.

Jeanne-Louise Moolman has about twenty years experience as principal violist of professional orchestras in Gauteng and was leader of the violas in the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra and COSA. She was also a founder member of the Rosemunde Quartet.

Sharon de Kock, formerly from Cape Town, studied at the University of Cincinnati, played in symphony orchestras in Peru, Costa Rica and the USA, and was a violin teacher in Mexico and Costa Rica until her return to South Africa in 2007.

Anmari van der Westhuizen, formerly from Stellenbosch, is one of the most sought-after cellists in South Africa, has been the conductor and director of the UCT String Ensemble since 1999, and spent eight years as soloist and chamber musician in Europe from 1988-1996.

The new quartet will be launched at a concert on 6 November 2008 in the Odeion on the Main Campus in Bloemfontein.

The new appointments follow after three former members of the quartet – Jürgen Schwietering, John Wille and Abrie de Wet – retired or left Bloemfontein at more or less the same time. Michael Haller, longtime cellist of the quartet, will also be retiring at the end of 2008. These developments mean that the Odeion String Quartet is literary brand new.

The new appointment creates exciting new opportunities for learners and students to be taught by excellent lecturers at the music department of the UFS. The new players also strengthen the Free State Symphony Orchestra significantly, since they will fill the four principal positions in the strings.

“The Odeion String Quartet is a flagship of the UFS and it symbolises our commitment to the arts. It also plays an important strategic role in the development of symphony orchestra music and classical music training in the Free State. It is an essential part of UFS regional collaboration with e.g. the Free State Symphony Orchestra, the Mangaung Strings Programme, the Free State Musicon, the Free State provincial Department of Arts and Culture and Pacofs.This is why a real attempt was made to obtain top class musicians, to attract the best in the country. We are pleased that such a strong group could be appointed,” said Prof. Frederick Fourie, chairperson of the String Quartet’s management committee and outgoing Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.

Most string quartets abroad are affiliated with a higher education institution, which enables a higher level of playing as there is more time for preparation and to study the repertoire. “We appreciate the university’s confidence in us and for the opportunity to explore the intricacies of ensemble playing. We hope that we can produce inspiring performances for our audiences and students,” said Denis Sutton, new leader of the string quartet.

Abridged CVs

Denise Sutton studied at the University of Stellenbosch (US) and obtained the degree B.Mus. with distinction. After this, she studied in Amsterdam with Theo Olof and Nap de Klijn, as well as in London. She was leader and second violinist in the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and did a successful audition for the English Chamber Orchestra. In South Africa she had a long career as concert master and leader of symphony orchestras. From 1980 she was concert master of the TRUK Orchestra for almost twenty years and from 2000 until 2005 she was member of the Johannesburg Festival Orchestra and the Chamber Orchestra of South Africa (COSA). She was also a founding member and leader of the Rosamunde String Quartet, one of the leading string quartets in the country. Denise had a very successful part-time teaching practice at the University of Pretoria (UP) and at a number of schools. She was also involved in postgraduate training. Her students include various competition winners and a number of them are playing professionally.

Jeanne-Louise Moolman studied at the UP under Prof. Alan Solomon where she obtained the B.Mus and B.Mus.Hons. degrees with distinction. She won among others the ATKV Forté and the Oude Meesters competitions and in 1985 she was the first winner of the prestigious 75th Commemorative Prize of the University of Natal. She has about twenty years experience as principal violist of various professional orchestras in Gauteng. Until her appointment at the UFS she was leader of the viola section in the Johannesburg Philharmonic Orchestra and COSA. She is an experienced chamber musician who regularly performs in various combinations with some of South Africa’s leading musicians. This includes Gerard Korsten, Phillipe Graffin, Jürgen Schwietering, the pianists Lamar Crowson and Albie van Schalkwyk, as well as clarinet player Robert Pickup. Jeanne-Louise was also a founding member of the Rosamunde String Quartet. She lectured on a part time basis at the UP and the Pro Arte Music School.

Sharon de Kock obtained the degrees B.A. Mus. and M.Mus. at the College-Conservatory of Music (CCM) of the University of Cincinnati in the United States of America (USA) in 2002 and 2004 respectively. Some of her teachers include the well-known concert violinist Chee-Yun Kim, Prof. Kurt Sassmannshaus and Piotr Milewski, all alumni of Julliard. From 2004 to 2006 she was violinist lecturer at two universities and a music conservatorium in Puebla, Mexico. She was also violin lecturer at a music school in Costa Rica and was associated with the Hugo Lambrechts Centre in Cape Town since 2007. Her orchestra participation includes among others the Opera Orchestra in Trujillo, Peru, the Sinfónica Nacional de Costa Rica in Costa Rica, as well as the Kentucky Symphony Orchestra, the Richmond Symphony Orchestra and the Dayton Philharmonic Orchestra. She also participated in the Luca Music Festival in Italy, the Grandin Music Festival in Portugal, the Pacific Music Festival in Japan and the Aspen Music Festival in the USA. Sharon performed regularly abroad as soloist and received various awards. This includes among others the CCM chamber music competition 2003 and the Baur Orchestral Competition and Heermann competition winner for violin at the CCM in 1995. In 1990 she won the first prize in the Sanlam competition.

Anmari van der Westhuizen was the winner at several national competitions such as the Forté and Oude Meester Competitions and in 1985 was the first winner of the prestigious University of Natal 75th Anniversary Prize. She is today one of the most sought-after cellists in South Africa. Anmari, a cum laude graduate of the Stellenbosch University, was awarded the Grosses Konzertdiplom with distinction at the Mozarteum in Salzburg and the Konzertexamendiplom at the Hochschule für Musik in Cologne, working under Heidi Litschauer and Maria Kliegel respectively. During her stay Europe from 1988 to 1996 she appeared as soloist and chamber musician in such groups as the Koehne String Quartet in Vienna, also appearing at international festivals in Austria, Italy and Spain. Anmari has made several CD recordings. Since 1999 she has been the conductor and director of the UCT String Ensemble. A founder member of the UCT Trio, the Collage Ensemble and I Grandi Violoncellisti, Anmari still performs regularly throughout South Africa, and is invited by the Austrian Composers Union as solo cellist.

Media Release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za  
29 October 2008
 

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