The awarding of the Chair was announced during the official launch of the Decadal Plan Aligned Research Chairs Programme, run in partnership between the NRF and the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation (DSTI), at the NRF headquarters in Pretoria on 16 April 2026.
Prof Steenhuisen is a subject head and senior lecturer in the Department of Plant Sciences at the UFS Qwaqwa Campus and is affiliated with the Afromontane Research Unit. Her research focuses on trophic ecology, particularly how plants and animals interact within mountain ecosystems, and how these relationships shift under pressure from invasive species, land transformation, and climate change.
Her appointment brings the total number of SARChI Chairs at the university to seven, further strengthening the institution’s research capacity and national standing.
“Prof Steenhuisen’s appointment as a SARChI Chair recognises scholarship that reveals the hidden connections sustaining our mountain ecosystems,” said Prof Vasu Reddy, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies. “It also affirms the global relevance of curiosity-driven research grounded in collaboration and ecological insight. Her appointment also strengthens the UFS’s role as a leader in research that links biodiversity science with real-world conservation challenges.”
Prof Steenhuisen described the recognition as both a personal and professional affirmation. “It is an academic dream come true,” she said. “I am a product of a SARChI Chair in evolutionary biology at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, so stepping into this space carries both a sense of responsibility and continuity.”
Research rooted in mountain ecosystems
Her work, based largely in the Qwaqwa region, includes the development of long-term monitoring systems aimed at tracking ecological change and understanding its impact on both biodiversity and human livelihoods in mountain landscapes.
“Mountains are a fragile ecosystem. Each plant and animal has a story to tell, and when invasive species take root, those stories start to fade,” she said.
A key focus of her research is pollination systems in South Africa’s proteas, where birds, insects, and mammals interact in complex ecological networks that shape biodiversity over time. “Our mountains hold a sense of awe and wonder. This Chair allows us to uncover the intricate relationships between plants and animals, especially in systems that are increasingly under pressure,” she added.
Prof Reddy noted that this work reflects the value of constantly questioning and rethinking global environmental challenges. “Curiosity-driven science is where discovery begins. It is how we unlock the hidden connections shaping our natural world. Research like this shows why collaboration across institutions and borders is essential for tackling complex environmental challenges.”
Through this Chair, Prof Steenhuisen aims to mobilise collaborative research teams, expand scientific work across South Africa and into other African countries, and strengthen the development of emerging scientists, particularly young African women in ecology.
She emphasises that much of the knowledge in ecology has historically been shaped by perspectives from the Global North, making representation from the Global South critical in shaping more balanced understanding.
The appointment places Prof Steenhuisen among a growing cohort of leading researchers shaping ecological understanding from South Africa’s mountain systems. It also reinforces the role of the UFS in advancing research that connects biodiversity science with pressing environmental and societal challenges, in line with its commitment to responsible societal futures.