Pretoria - Five researchers from the University of Pretoria (UP) and the Tshwane University of Technology (TUT) emerged as winners in their respective fields at the National Science and Technology Forum awards held at Emperor’s Palace.
At the event, considered the “Science Oscars” in South Africa, “tree doctor” Professor Brenda Wingfield, genomics expert Professor Don Cowan, bat researcher Professor Wanda Markotter and audiologist Professor De Wet Swanepoel from UP proved that the capital city is a city of excellence.
Emeritus Professor Johannes Maree from TUT won the award for an individual or team for an outstanding contribution to science, engineering and technology through research leading to innovation in a small, medium or micro enterprise. The awards were presented by Minister of Science and Technology Naledi Pandor and the event was attended by 600 guests from the broader science community.
Seven of the 48 finalists are from UP. UP received nine nominations, TUT received three and the CSIR four. In addition to the winners, six of the 19 in the Brilliants Programme are from UP.
The programme recognises and rewards first-year science and engineering students from each of the nine provinces. They are Yandisa Ndongeni (mining engineering), Dimakatso Mosheshe (electrical engineering), Zandile Mbonxa (veterinary science), Madzanga Muzhelele (chemical engineering), Leané van der Merwe (veterinary science) and Tebogo Raseroka (electrical engineering).
Pandor urged South Africans to “nurture scientists” and “grow employment for permanent researchers”.
Cowan was a finalist in three award categories and shared first place in the capacity building category with Wingfield.
Wingfield, who is also the deputy dean of the faculty of natural and agricultural sciences at UP, won the category for an outstanding contribution to science, engineering and technology through research capacity development over the past five to 10 years.
Swanepoel was the winner in the category for outstanding contributions to science, engineering and technology through research leading to innovation in a corporate organisation or institution.
Markotter won the category honouring emerging researchers who make an outstanding contribution to science, engineering and technology over a period of six years after the award of a PhD.
Three UCT scientists had also been honoured in the annual NSTF-BHP Billiton Awards.
The UCT winners were:
l Professor emeritus Eric Bateman, professor, asthma specialist and director of UCT’s Lung Institute – award for an outstanding contribution to science, engineering and technology (SET) over a lifetime.
l Professor Keertan Dheda, professor: division of pulmonology division, department of medicine at Groote Schuur Hospital and specialist in drug-resistant TB – TW Kambule NRF-NSTF award for an outstanding contribution to science, engineering and technology SET through research and its outputs over the past five to 10 years.
l Associate Professor Arnaud Malan of the department of mechanical engineering, specialist in the development of computational fluid dynamics technology for high-tech industry and leader of the next generation elemental software team – award for an individual or a team for an outstanding contribution to science, engineering and technology SET through research leading to innovation in a corporate organisation or institution. - Pretoria News and Cape Argus