(Published - 12 April 2019)
UWC’s impressive contribution to the fields of science, engineering, technology and innovation received another thumbs up with no less than six staff members being nominated for the 2018/2019 NSTF-South32 Awards.
Director of Research Development at UWC, Professor Burtram C. Fielding, congratulated the nominees, the Science Faculty Dean and Deputy Dean (Research and Innovation), the Director of the DST-NRF Centre of Excellence in Food Security - Professor Julian May, as well as the Research Office team for getting the nominations together. “Well done to all!”
The awards initiative, which is organised by the National Science and Technology Forum, is considered to be the “Science Oscars of South Africa”. It is the largest, most comprehensive and most sought-after national awards of its kind.
Professor Emmanuel Iheanyichukwu Iwuoha, UWC’s Director of the Sensor Laboratories and a Department of Science and Technology/National Research Foundation SARChI Chair, was nominated in two categories. Prof Iwuoha - who is also a Senior Professor for Chemistry, Nano Electrochemistry and Sensor Technology - is vying for the Lifetime Award. He is also in the running for the Special Annual Theme Award.
Other UWC nominees include Professor Mervin Meyer, UWC’s Professor of Biotechnology and Director of the DST/Mintek Nanotechnology Innovation Centre (Biolabels Research Node), and Professor Marla Trindade, Director of the Institute for Microbial Biotechnology and Metagenomics, and DST/NRF SARChI Chair for Microbial Genomics. Both professors have been nominated for the TW Kambule-NSTF Award: Researcher.
The University also saw Professor Russ Taylor - Square Kilometre Array Research Chair for the Inter-University Institute for Data Intensive Astronomy - nominated for the Data for Research Award. Additionally, the Forensic DNA Laboratory (FDL) team - led by Professor Maria Eugenia D’Amato from the Department of Biotechnology - has been nominated for the Innovation Award: Corporate Organisation.
Mologadi Makwela, Communications Officer for the Centre of Excellence in Food Security - a DST-NRF centre jointly hosted by UWC and UP - has been nominated for the Communication Award for outreach and creating awareness of SET and innovation.
