Physics
Head of Department
Position: Head of department and Senior Lecturer
Tel: +27 (021) 959 3460
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Prof Halindintwali holds a PhD in solid state physics obtained in 2005 at UWC. His dissertation focused on the study of “hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon thin films deposited by hot-wire chemical vapour deposition (HWCVD)”. Prof Halindintwali is still actively involved in this area of research with special emphasis on materials that find application in solar cells.
Prof Halindintwali applies diverse spectroscopy and electrical characterization techniques to study issues ranging from microstructure, optical properties, passivation and stability of these photovoltaic materials. To this end, beyond his research group in the Physics department, Prof Halindintwali has and still collaborates with colleagues from the Chemistry department at UWC, iThemba LABS in Cape Town, CSIR in Pretoria as well as Utrecht and Groningen in the Netherlands.
From the time of his appointment in 2006, Prof Halindintwali has served at several committees in the faculty of science including Health and safety, Research and International relations as well as Postgraduate affairs at present.
Sylvain Halindintwali was awarded the first van der Weg scholarship at Utrecht University – the Netherlands in 2005; he was a recipient of the COIMBRA group scholarship for young Africans researchers at Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Optical Condensed Matter Physics, University of Groningen in 2009 – 2010.
Prof Halindintwali is a C-rated scientist by the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa.
Tel: +27 (021) 959 3460
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Biography:
Prof Sylvain Halindintwali is currently a Associate Professor in the department of Physics at the University of the Western Cape (UWC).Prof Halindintwali holds a PhD in solid state physics obtained in 2005 at UWC. His dissertation focused on the study of “hydrogenated nanocrystalline silicon thin films deposited by hot-wire chemical vapour deposition (HWCVD)”. Prof Halindintwali is still actively involved in this area of research with special emphasis on materials that find application in solar cells.
Prof Halindintwali applies diverse spectroscopy and electrical characterization techniques to study issues ranging from microstructure, optical properties, passivation and stability of these photovoltaic materials. To this end, beyond his research group in the Physics department, Prof Halindintwali has and still collaborates with colleagues from the Chemistry department at UWC, iThemba LABS in Cape Town, CSIR in Pretoria as well as Utrecht and Groningen in the Netherlands.
From the time of his appointment in 2006, Prof Halindintwali has served at several committees in the faculty of science including Health and safety, Research and International relations as well as Postgraduate affairs at present.
Sylvain Halindintwali was awarded the first van der Weg scholarship at Utrecht University – the Netherlands in 2005; he was a recipient of the COIMBRA group scholarship for young Africans researchers at Zernike Institute for Advanced Materials, Optical Condensed Matter Physics, University of Groningen in 2009 – 2010.
Prof Halindintwali is a C-rated scientist by the National Research Foundation (NRF) of South Africa.
Academic and Administrative Staff
Position: Deputy Head of Department and SARChI Chair in Nuclear Physics
Tel: +27 (021) 959 3468
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Tel: +27 (021) 959 3468
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Position: Emeritus Professor
Tel: +27 (021) 959 3473
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Tel: +27 (021) 959 3473
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Biography:
Prof Arendse’s research is focused on the application of nano-structured material in energy conversion devices, such as photovoltaic devices. Specific energy technology areas that he targets are photovoltaic devices, where he focuses on the synthesis and characterisation of silicon-alloyed nanostructures, organic photovoltaics and nano-metrology. Crucial to the development of such devices is the understanding of the structure-property-relationship of the constituent nano-structured material and its eventual impact on the electrical properties and stability of the devices. Prof Arendse has published several papers in international accredited peer-reviewed journals and regularly supervises MSc and PhD students.Position:Professor
Tel: +27 (0)21 959 2323
Fax: +27 (0)21 959 2323
Prof Marshall was profiled in UWC's Women in Academia & Leadership Magazine (Issue 3), CLICK HERE to read about her COVID-19 lockdown experience.
Tel: +27 (0)21 959 2323
Fax: +27 (0)21 959 2323
Prof Marshall was profiled in UWC's Women in Academia & Leadership Magazine (Issue 3), CLICK HERE to read about her COVID-19 lockdown experience.
Position: Professor
Tel: +27 (021) 959 3454
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Additional multi-step Coulomb-excitation experiments have successfully been carried out at HIE-ISOLDE (CERN) aimed at investigating gamma bands and shape coexistence in the A~70-80 region. Furthermore, we have astronomical data from the South African Large Telescope (SALT) to study extreme metal poor stars. I am the principal investigator of this
project, which aims at measuring abundance ratios of heavy metals. The results will indicate whether the first elements were created in either the rapid-neutron process or the slow-neutron process. In 2013 I was promoted to Associate Professor and I’m currently Full Professor since 2017.
Retrospectively, my work has evolved towards a broad understanding of nuclear structure physics from experiments and theoretical calculations throughout the nuclear chart, from spherical to deformed nuclei, from low- to high-spin phenomena, from the neutron to lead. The most important achievements are explained in the “Brief Description of Completed Research” section. Some 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings with about 650 citations (h-index = 15) describe my work for the last eight years.
Other personal achievements during the last 5 years at UWC account for the Chair of the Physics Users at iThemba LABS, Chair of the GAMKA (Gamma-ray spectrometer for Knowledge in Africa), Representative of Research Science Committee and Chair of the Research Open Day (where we invited the Nobel Laureate in Physics, Serge Haroche) at
UWC, member of the Program Advisory Committee (PAC) at iThemba LABS and Chair of the celebrated Tastes of Nuclear Physics. I have been a referee for the Physical Review C, Journal of Physics G and South African Institute of Physics journals. Awards received by the NRF/DST include the first SaRchi Chair in Nuclear Science (Smarajit Triambak, UWC/iThemba LABS), Competitive Rated Researchers Grant (R800,000) and Strategic Research Funding (GAMKA, R35M). It is in fact nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the
holy curious of inquiry. It is a very grave mistake to think that the enjoyment of seeing and searching can be promoted by means of coercion and a sense of duty.
YouTube channel
Tel: +27 (021) 959 3454
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Biography:
As a lecturer, I joined the University of the Western Cape (UWC) in 2011, where I immediately kicked off developing a Coulex program at iThemba LABS. The pipe line for these kind of measurements is now fully functioning and the first experiments ran successfully in 2015 using 20Ne and 40Ar beams. These studies involve the determination of second-order effects in Coulex perturbation theory, including the reorientation effect (RE), e.g., diagonal matrix elements, and the nuclear E1 polarizability. Many other Coulex measurements are scheduled at iThemba LABS in March-April 2016.Additional multi-step Coulomb-excitation experiments have successfully been carried out at HIE-ISOLDE (CERN) aimed at investigating gamma bands and shape coexistence in the A~70-80 region. Furthermore, we have astronomical data from the South African Large Telescope (SALT) to study extreme metal poor stars. I am the principal investigator of this
project, which aims at measuring abundance ratios of heavy metals. The results will indicate whether the first elements were created in either the rapid-neutron process or the slow-neutron process. In 2013 I was promoted to Associate Professor and I’m currently Full Professor since 2017.
Retrospectively, my work has evolved towards a broad understanding of nuclear structure physics from experiments and theoretical calculations throughout the nuclear chart, from spherical to deformed nuclei, from low- to high-spin phenomena, from the neutron to lead. The most important achievements are explained in the “Brief Description of Completed Research” section. Some 100 publications in peer-reviewed journals and conference proceedings with about 650 citations (h-index = 15) describe my work for the last eight years.
Other personal achievements during the last 5 years at UWC account for the Chair of the Physics Users at iThemba LABS, Chair of the GAMKA (Gamma-ray spectrometer for Knowledge in Africa), Representative of Research Science Committee and Chair of the Research Open Day (where we invited the Nobel Laureate in Physics, Serge Haroche) at
UWC, member of the Program Advisory Committee (PAC) at iThemba LABS and Chair of the celebrated Tastes of Nuclear Physics. I have been a referee for the Physical Review C, Journal of Physics G and South African Institute of Physics journals. Awards received by the NRF/DST include the first SaRchi Chair in Nuclear Science (Smarajit Triambak, UWC/iThemba LABS), Competitive Rated Researchers Grant (R800,000) and Strategic Research Funding (GAMKA, R35M). It is in fact nothing short of a miracle that the modern methods of instruction have not yet entirely strangled the
holy curious of inquiry. It is a very grave mistake to think that the enjoyment of seeing and searching can be promoted by means of coercion and a sense of duty.
YouTube channel
Position: Associate Professor
Tel: +27 (021) 959 3465
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Prof Tchokonte received two awards at the South African Institute of Physics conferences: one award for the most outstanding poster presentation in the field of Solid-State Physics and / or Materials Science delivered at the Annual South Africa Institute of Physics Conference in Potchefstroom, 2002. The second award was for the most outstanding work in the field of Solid-State Physics and / or Materials Science based on a publication in a Scientific Journal originating from his Doctoral Thesis, at the Annual South Africa Institute of Physics Conference in Stellenbosch, 2003. He is a Member of the South African Institute of Physics and a Regular Associate of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy.
His activities are based on Experimental research in the Strongly Correlated Electron Systems, or magnetism in the solid state and condensed matter Physics. He has made very interesting and generated exhaustive work on the competition between the Kondo effects and magnetic inter site interaction in alloys with Cerium. His research field of strongly correlated electron systems: Transport and magnetic properties of heavy-fermion and Kondo Cerium compounds. His research on these compounds involves measurements, analysis and interpretation of transport and thermodynamic properties such as electrical resistivity,thermal conductivity, magnetoresistivity, thermoelectric power, magnetic susceptibility, magnetization, specific heat capacity and magnetocaloric effect over a broad range of temperature and magnetic fields. He recently set up a closed – cycle Helium refrigerator for electrical resistivity measurements from room temperature (300 K) down to 2.5 K in his research laboratory. He has published several research papers in Peer-reviewed research journals and presented his research findings and interpretations at several national and international conferences and workshops. His research collaboration involved scientists at the University of Johannesburg as well as at the Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland.
Tel: +27 (021) 959 3465
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Biography:
Prof Moise Tchokonte is an Associate Professor in the Department of Physics. He obtained his DEA in Theoretical Physics at the University of Yaounde, Cameroon, his MSc degree in Theoretical Physics and his PhD degree in experimental condensed matter Physics at Wits University.Prof Tchokonte received two awards at the South African Institute of Physics conferences: one award for the most outstanding poster presentation in the field of Solid-State Physics and / or Materials Science delivered at the Annual South Africa Institute of Physics Conference in Potchefstroom, 2002. The second award was for the most outstanding work in the field of Solid-State Physics and / or Materials Science based on a publication in a Scientific Journal originating from his Doctoral Thesis, at the Annual South Africa Institute of Physics Conference in Stellenbosch, 2003. He is a Member of the South African Institute of Physics and a Regular Associate of the Abdus Salam International Centre for Theoretical Physics (ICTP), Trieste, Italy.
His activities are based on Experimental research in the Strongly Correlated Electron Systems, or magnetism in the solid state and condensed matter Physics. He has made very interesting and generated exhaustive work on the competition between the Kondo effects and magnetic inter site interaction in alloys with Cerium. His research field of strongly correlated electron systems: Transport and magnetic properties of heavy-fermion and Kondo Cerium compounds. His research on these compounds involves measurements, analysis and interpretation of transport and thermodynamic properties such as electrical resistivity,thermal conductivity, magnetoresistivity, thermoelectric power, magnetic susceptibility, magnetization, specific heat capacity and magnetocaloric effect over a broad range of temperature and magnetic fields. He recently set up a closed – cycle Helium refrigerator for electrical resistivity measurements from room temperature (300 K) down to 2.5 K in his research laboratory. He has published several research papers in Peer-reviewed research journals and presented his research findings and interpretations at several national and international conferences and workshops. His research collaboration involved scientists at the University of Johannesburg as well as at the Institute of Low Temperature and Structure Research, Polish Academy of Sciences, Wroclaw, Poland.
Position: Senior Lecturer
Tel: +27 (021) 959 2236
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Tel: +27 (021) 959 2236
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Biography:
Dr Gerald Malgas is currently a senior lecturer in the department of Physics at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). Dr Malgas holds a PhD in solid state physics obtained in 2004 at UWC. His research is focused on the application of nano-structured material in the application for sensors and energy devices, such as photovoltaic devices. He has published several papers in international accredited peer-reviewed journals and regularly supervises MSc and PhD students.Position: Senior Lecturer
Tel: +27 (021) 959 2328
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
He obtained a Higher Diploma in Education at UWC, before embarking on a brief stint teaching Mathematics and Physics at secondary school level. He thereafter returned to UWC to complete his BSc, BSc Hons, and MSc while employed in the Physics Department as scientific officer. Whilst registered at UWC for his PhD he was awarded the Utrecht University Africa Fellowship, and spent six months in the Netherlands to further his experimental work. He was eventually awarded a PhD under the supervision of Dirk Knoesen. In 2011 he was appointed as lecturer in the Physics Department.
He has published in international refereed journals since 2006, and is currently supervising and co-supervising postgraduate students in materials research.
Tel: +27 (021) 959 2328
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Biography:
Theo Muller is a material scientist. His research centres on photovoltaic material for the generation of electricity. In particular, it focusses on the application of nanoparticles for improving the charge-transfer mechanisms, and ultimately the efficiency of these devices. The features of nano- silicon and its alloys in silicon thin film photovoltaics, and metal and metal oxides used in silicon and organic photovoltaics, are specifically studied so that its structural and optical properties can be related to device performance.He obtained a Higher Diploma in Education at UWC, before embarking on a brief stint teaching Mathematics and Physics at secondary school level. He thereafter returned to UWC to complete his BSc, BSc Hons, and MSc while employed in the Physics Department as scientific officer. Whilst registered at UWC for his PhD he was awarded the Utrecht University Africa Fellowship, and spent six months in the Netherlands to further his experimental work. He was eventually awarded a PhD under the supervision of Dirk Knoesen. In 2011 he was appointed as lecturer in the Physics Department.
He has published in international refereed journals since 2006, and is currently supervising and co-supervising postgraduate students in materials research.
Position: Senior Lecturer
Tel: +27 (021) 959
Fax: +27 (021) 959
Biography:
Trevor Volkwyn trained as an experimental nuclear physicist and has published in this subfield of physics. However, his involvement in academia especially with extended curriculum programmes (ECP) at three Western Cape universities (the University of Cape Town, UCT, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, CPUT, and lately the University of the Western Cape, UWC) over the last three decades, has catalyzed a shift in research focus to Physics Education Research (PER). This shift in PER culminated in a PhD being awarded (thesis and public defense) in 2020 at Uppsala University in Sweden, with a number of publications in international peer- reviewed PER and SE (Science Education) journals. Trevor also holds a BSc (Hons), area of specialization experimental nuclear physics, and an MSc (with distinction), area of specialization Physics Education, both from UCT.
His current research focus is on understanding the roles of the multiple representational systems used in the disciplinary practices of Physics and Astronomy. The basis of his research work is a social semiotic framework developed for physics and the learning and teaching of physics at Uppsala University (the UUPER research division and group) over the last two decades. The premise of this research approach is that if we can understand better how physics as a discipline makes it coordinated and often-abstracted meanings, and how students come to grasp these, we would be in a better position to advise how best to teach physics and how to guide students to learn the discipline. This is because within this theoretical framework, the learning of physics is characterized as coming to apprehend the meaning-making functions of the semiotic resources used in physics work.
Trevor was appointed as a contract lecturer within the ECP of the Faculty of Natural Sciences (FNS) when he joined UWC in 2010. In 2016 he joined the UUPER group
in Uppsala, Sweden, and returned to UWC in November 2020 being promoted to Senior Lecturer and appointed in a new role, that of Coordinator of the ECP in FNS.
Tel: +27 (021) 959
Fax: +27 (021) 959
Biography:
Trevor Volkwyn trained as an experimental nuclear physicist and has published in this subfield of physics. However, his involvement in academia especially with extended curriculum programmes (ECP) at three Western Cape universities (the University of Cape Town, UCT, Cape Peninsula University of Technology, CPUT, and lately the University of the Western Cape, UWC) over the last three decades, has catalyzed a shift in research focus to Physics Education Research (PER). This shift in PER culminated in a PhD being awarded (thesis and public defense) in 2020 at Uppsala University in Sweden, with a number of publications in international peer- reviewed PER and SE (Science Education) journals. Trevor also holds a BSc (Hons), area of specialization experimental nuclear physics, and an MSc (with distinction), area of specialization Physics Education, both from UCT.
His current research focus is on understanding the roles of the multiple representational systems used in the disciplinary practices of Physics and Astronomy. The basis of his research work is a social semiotic framework developed for physics and the learning and teaching of physics at Uppsala University (the UUPER research division and group) over the last two decades. The premise of this research approach is that if we can understand better how physics as a discipline makes it coordinated and often-abstracted meanings, and how students come to grasp these, we would be in a better position to advise how best to teach physics and how to guide students to learn the discipline. This is because within this theoretical framework, the learning of physics is characterized as coming to apprehend the meaning-making functions of the semiotic resources used in physics work.
Trevor was appointed as a contract lecturer within the ECP of the Faculty of Natural Sciences (FNS) when he joined UWC in 2010. In 2016 he joined the UUPER group
in Uppsala, Sweden, and returned to UWC in November 2020 being promoted to Senior Lecturer and appointed in a new role, that of Coordinator of the ECP in FNS.
Position: Associate Lecturer
Tel: +27 (021) 959
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Dr BN Audu holds a BSc (Hons) Physics from the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria. He proceeded to the University of Ibadan, Nigeria for a PGDE and an MEd in science education. During this period, he worked at the Teachers’ Training College. His interest in radiation physics led him to study Radiation and Environmental Protection in the UK (Surrey), but his passion for Physics Education led him to pursue a PhD in Physics at the University of the Western Cape, where his thesis is a significant basis for probing the curriculum and graduate preparedness at the faculty level. He has been involved at the 3 tiers of the education system (Primary, secondary and tertiary) in the over two decades of academic engagements. His focus in Physics Education Research (PER) is in physics graduate preparedness, physics education and academic development. Other interests include teaching pedagogies and the use of technology in the classroom.
Tel: +27 (021) 959
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Dr BN Audu holds a BSc (Hons) Physics from the University of Maiduguri, Nigeria. He proceeded to the University of Ibadan, Nigeria for a PGDE and an MEd in science education. During this period, he worked at the Teachers’ Training College. His interest in radiation physics led him to study Radiation and Environmental Protection in the UK (Surrey), but his passion for Physics Education led him to pursue a PhD in Physics at the University of the Western Cape, where his thesis is a significant basis for probing the curriculum and graduate preparedness at the faculty level. He has been involved at the 3 tiers of the education system (Primary, secondary and tertiary) in the over two decades of academic engagements. His focus in Physics Education Research (PER) is in physics graduate preparedness, physics education and academic development. Other interests include teaching pedagogies and the use of technology in the classroom.
Position: Associate Lecturer
Tel: +27 (021) 959
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Tel: +27 (021) 959
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Position: Chief Technical Officer
Tel: +27 (021) 959 3541
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Dr Lucky Makhathini is a nuclear scientist with a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics from the University of Stellenbosch (in collaboration with iThemba LABS). My PhD thesis focused on the development of a β-decay tape station and the search for vibrations in Ruthenium isotopes. The new facility at iThemba LABS introduced a new dimension for nuclear structure studies. The tape station is a versatile device that can be used to study nuclei with a variety of half-lives. It has been used to study the low-lying states of 98Ru and 100Ru, and the results suggest that these isotopes are triaxiality deformed and shape coexistence occurs around 98Ru.
My research interests include nuclear structure physics, gamma spectroscopy, and nuclear detector technology. He is also interested in the development of new instrumentation for nuclear physics research. Prior to joining the University of the Western Cape, I worked as an Instrumentation Engineer at iThemba LABS. In this role, I was responsible for the research, development, and maintenance of radiation detectors. Further, I trained and taught post-graduate students about different types of radiation detectors.
I am a highly skilled and experienced nuclear scientist with a proven track record of success in research, teaching, and radiation safety.
Tel: +27 (021) 959 3541
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Dr Lucky Makhathini is a nuclear scientist with a Ph.D. in Nuclear Physics from the University of Stellenbosch (in collaboration with iThemba LABS). My PhD thesis focused on the development of a β-decay tape station and the search for vibrations in Ruthenium isotopes. The new facility at iThemba LABS introduced a new dimension for nuclear structure studies. The tape station is a versatile device that can be used to study nuclei with a variety of half-lives. It has been used to study the low-lying states of 98Ru and 100Ru, and the results suggest that these isotopes are triaxiality deformed and shape coexistence occurs around 98Ru.
My research interests include nuclear structure physics, gamma spectroscopy, and nuclear detector technology. He is also interested in the development of new instrumentation for nuclear physics research. Prior to joining the University of the Western Cape, I worked as an Instrumentation Engineer at iThemba LABS. In this role, I was responsible for the research, development, and maintenance of radiation detectors. Further, I trained and taught post-graduate students about different types of radiation detectors.
I am a highly skilled and experienced nuclear scientist with a proven track record of success in research, teaching, and radiation safety.
Position: ECP (Extended Curriculum Programme) contract lecturer
Tel: +27 (021) 959 2327
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Tel: +27 (021) 959 2327
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Position: ECP (Extended Curriculum Programme) contract lecturer
Tel: +27 (021) 959
Fax: +27 (021) 959
Tel: +27 (021) 959
Fax: +27 (021) 959
Position: Chief Technical Officer
Tel: +27 (021) 959 9516
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Mr. Hlatshwayo worked as a Technical Officer for the Environmental Radioactivity Laboratory of iThemba LABS from 2006 to 2011. He holds BSc (Physics and Electronics), BSc (Honours, Nuclear Physics), and MSc (Applied Nuclear Physics) degrees from the University of Zululand.
Tel: +27 (021) 959 9516
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Biography:
Mr. Israel N. Hlatshwayo is one of the two Chief Technical Officers of the Physics Department. He has served in this position since January 2012. Amongst his duties as a Chief Technical Officer, he also assists with the lecturing of introductory Physics at 1st Year level.Mr. Hlatshwayo worked as a Technical Officer for the Environmental Radioactivity Laboratory of iThemba LABS from 2006 to 2011. He holds BSc (Physics and Electronics), BSc (Honours, Nuclear Physics), and MSc (Applied Nuclear Physics) degrees from the University of Zululand.
Position: Senior Technical Officer (/Educational Technologist)
(Seconded as a lecturer on the Extended Curriculum Programme)
Tel: +27 (021) 959 4106
Cell: +27 (0)660235988
Email: ischroeder@uwc.ac.za
Teaching & Learning, Learning and LEARNING….
I will always havean element of "Living in Beta" no matter where I am. Education and Technology fascinates me and I am especially interested in how Computational Thinking can be applied to learning design for Computational Modeling (Computational Thinking in Science) and how this approach can deepen the student's understanding of the content. My Learning and Teaching focus is the utilization of appropriate theories, frameworks and technologies to develop, and understand, student learning experiences. In particular, this lens is sharpened by utilising Computational Thinking to create dynamic learning environments that allows for student agency and the development of processes and practices relevant to their community of practice. This approach allowed me to develop effective online learning experiences for my students during the pandemic and led to me being presented with the Most Innovative Teaching during the Covid-19 Pandemic Award at the University of Western Cape (2021).
My experiences in Higher Education, Industry and my postgraduate studies has allowed me to deepen my understanding of the pedagogy involved in developing, implementing and evaluating learning and training opportunities. It allows provides me with a bird’s eye view of how students need to develop in order for them to be productive members of the South African Society.
Physics Course and Lab Involvement since 1997
Workshops Presented:
Seminars presented:
(Seconded as a lecturer on the Extended Curriculum Programme)
Tel: +27 (021) 959 4106
Cell: +27 (0)660235988
Email: ischroeder@uwc.ac.za
Teaching & Learning, Learning and LEARNING….
- Computational Thinking
- 21st Century Problem Solving
- Professional Learning Networks (PLNs)
- Learning Design
I will always havean element of "Living in Beta" no matter where I am. Education and Technology fascinates me and I am especially interested in how Computational Thinking can be applied to learning design for Computational Modeling (Computational Thinking in Science) and how this approach can deepen the student's understanding of the content. My Learning and Teaching focus is the utilization of appropriate theories, frameworks and technologies to develop, and understand, student learning experiences. In particular, this lens is sharpened by utilising Computational Thinking to create dynamic learning environments that allows for student agency and the development of processes and practices relevant to their community of practice. This approach allowed me to develop effective online learning experiences for my students during the pandemic and led to me being presented with the Most Innovative Teaching during the Covid-19 Pandemic Award at the University of Western Cape (2021).
My experiences in Higher Education, Industry and my postgraduate studies has allowed me to deepen my understanding of the pedagogy involved in developing, implementing and evaluating learning and training opportunities. It allows provides me with a bird’s eye view of how students need to develop in order for them to be productive members of the South African Society.
Physics Course and Lab Involvement since 1997
- ECP Year 2 Electricity and Magnetism
- Monte Carlo methods for 3rd year students as part of the laboratory component
- MS Excel sessions for 1st year mainstream students in collaboration with the eLearning unit
- Computational Modelling for 2nd year students as part of the laboratory component
- Computational Physics (3rd year & Honours)
- Modern Physics (Honours)
- Project Management (Honours)
- Extended Curriculum Year 1 Conceptual Mechanics
- 1st year Conceptual Physics
- Applied Nuclear Physics (3rd year module)
- Nuclear Physics (3rd year module in 2000)
- Laboratory based lectures on data analysis (2nd & 3rd year)
- Facilitation of the 3rd year and Honours Nuclear Physics laboratory
Workshops Presented:
- Utilisation of the Aver F50-8M Document Camera for Teaching & Learning.
- Virtual Lunchtime Workshop – Shaping student experiences using the Lessons tool and utilization of the Discussion Forums Blogging tool for feedback and reflection
- Virtual Lunchtime Workshop - Utilisation of the Calculations tool for summative assessments and the Polling tool for quick, bi-directional, feedback
- Virtual Lunchtime Workshop - Utilisation of Question Pools and MCQs for assessment
- 4IR, Experimentation and the Scientific Method - Science Teacher Day, iThemba LABS
- Basic Introduction to Sakai for Teaching and Learning
- Classroom Response Systems and Backchannels for Teaching and Learning
- Collaborating in the Cloud using Microsoft Skydrive
- Concept Mapping with Google Drawings
- Doctopus and Goobric for Teaching and Learning
- Effective Teaching and Learning using PowerPoint
- Google Docs and Forms for Academic Administration in Higher Education
- Online Presence and Professional Learning Networks
- Practices and tools for surviving information overload
- Teaching and Learning with Google Spreadsheets, Forms and Slides
- Teaching and Learning using Google Apps
- Teaching and learning in the Cloud using Google Drive (presented as a workshop at UWC and HELTASA in 2014)
- Teaching with Images (co-presented)
- Using Online Video Conference Tools for Teaching and Research
- Using Classroom Response Systems in Higher Education (presented at SASEE conference in 2013)
- Using Concept Mapping for Teaching and Learning in Higher Education
Seminars presented:
- Coding! What? Where? How? The keynote presentation at the Western Cape Education Department Metro East Coding and Robotics Mini-Conference
- (Feb 2022)
- Online Assessment – Virtual presentation and coffee discussion session with the UWC Computer Science Department (July 2020)
- Online Assessment – Virtual presentation and coffee discussion session with the UWC Statistics Department (June 2020)
- The Scientific Method in a VUCA World. Fact, Fantasy or Opportunity - Science Teacher Day, iThemba LABS (March 2020)
- Lunchtime Slam session presented to staff and students on using Tracker motion analysis software (August 2019)
- Computational Thinking and Coding - Educational Possibilities or the "New Latin"? - presented to the Faculty of Education at UWC (May 2019)
- “The Role of Mathematics and Physics in Industry – Career Realities”, present to 2nd year students as part of the Maths Boot camp (January 2019)
- Utilising the semi-formal co-curriculum space for the development of undergraduate physicists (co-presented with four undergraduate students) – CEICT 11th e-Colloquium 2018 https://youtu.be/dx0vdP-iJxY?list=PLcNoCjyvgBPyhZQl1Z9BS6Z9bSibcm4P9
- Developing computational skills for modern-day science teaching - Pedagogy-Practical-Assessment workshop for Physical and Natural Sciences teachers, Metropole East Education District, WCED (August 2018)
- Developing 21st Century Students with and through technology – UWC Annual Teachers Professional Development Symposium (July 2018)
- Possibilities for improving the Human-Capital Pipeline for STE(A)M – short presentation to the UWC Senate Teaching and Learning Committee (June 2018)
- Blended Learning Possibilities in Maths and Physics - presented to Cape Peninsula University of Technology’s Maths and Physics Department (April 2018)
- Developing 21st Century Learning Experiences in Undergraduate Physics - presented to science teachers at iThemba LABS (February 2018)
- Flipping the Meeting - Improving the Utilisation of Meetings; Presentation to the staff in the Office of the Registrar, UCT (August 2016).
- Active Learning seminar sessions as part of the New Academic Practitioner Programme (NAPP) project
- Creating your own Virtual World (2015)
- Educational Technology Wow Sessions as part of the NAPP project
- Engagement, Collaboration and Visualisation vs Teaching, Supervision and Research using concept maps and collaboration
- Google Drive Learn @ Lunch session for 1st year students
- Impact and possibilities of Mobile Devices for Health Science
- Online Presence & Professional Learning Networks seminar session
- Presented a virtual clicker SlamShop
- Presented and supported training sessions in the Post Graduate Diploma in Educational Technology class
- Presented Slam sessions as part of CHEC Emerging Technologies course
- The Flipped Classroom and the Evolution of the Flipped Classroom
- Using Professional/Personal Learning Networks in Higher Education
- Using Mobile Devices in Higher Education
Position: Administrator - Development & Outreach (IDIA)
Email: http://www.idia.ac.za/
Tel: +27 (021) 959 4137
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Email: http://www.idia.ac.za/
Tel: +27 (021) 959 4137
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Email: physics@uwc.ac.za
Tel: +27 (021) 959 3774
Tel: +27 (021) 959 3774
Astronomy
Academic Staff
Qualifications: PhD (UCT) / NRF A-rated Researcher (since 2012)
Position: SKA/SARChI Chair in Astronomy and Astrophysics
Biography
The SKA will look deeper into the Universe and further back in time than any other telescope before it. I hold an SKA Research Chair which funds a team of postgraduates and postdocs. My research team aims to use maps of the distribution of galaxies in the Universe from the SKA precursor MeerKAT and the SKA, combined with maps from other surveys. These maps contain a wealth of information. They carry an imprint of the Dark Energy that is forcing the Universe to expand faster and faster. They also contain a ‘fossil’ record of the properties of the very early Universe. In addition, these maps allow us to test the foundations of our understanding of the Universe: (a) Einstein’s 1915 theory of General Relativity; (b) the large-scale smoothness and isotropy of the Universe.Prof Maartens was profiled in UWC's Signals Magazine (Edition 3), CLICK HERE to read about how he turned from socialist to cosmologist.
Position: Research Chair
Tel: +27 (021) 959
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Biography:
My main area of research is Cosmology. In particular, I’m studying how the next generation of large radio telescopes, such as MeerKAT in South Africa and the future SKA will be able to answer fundamental questions in Cosmology, from the nature of dark energy or the physics of the primordial Universe to the process of Reionization when the first stars and galaxies of the Universe were born. This research involves both analytical models and large scale numerical simulations as well as a good understanding of the telescopes setup. The huge volumes of data that will be provided by these experiments also allow for unique and exciting ways to develop novel statistical analysis techniques.Experiments in which I’m currently involved: MeerKAT, SKA, PAPER, LOFAR, ASKAP, APERTIF, EUCLID.
Position: Research Chair
Tel: +27 (021) 959
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Biography:
Professor Russ Taylor has extensive expertise in radio astronomy, in particular wide-field polarization, cosmic magnetism and Big Data, and has played a prominent role in the SKA project since its inception. He is interested in using MeerKAT to detect polarised signals from the low luminosity AGN and star forming galaxies as an initial step toward the SKA key science area of the evolution of cosmic magnetism.Position: Professor
Tel: +27 (021) 959
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Biography:
Multi-wavelength astrophysical research on star-formation, variable stars and the evolution of elliptical galaxies and clusters and their progenitors, in both gravitationally lensed and un-lensed systems, exploiting observations at optical to radio and complementary wavebands from ground and space telescopes. Exploitation of gravitational lensed systems for studies of extragalactic and cosmological dark matter and distant galaxies. Probing the physical structure of active and radio galaxies, as well as star-forming regions. Astroparticle Physics: Exploring the intersection of astrophysics and particle physics. Oral Historical Studies: Conducting, archiving and analyzing interviews of individuals involved in astronomy and other unique professional specializations in South Africa. Leadership and Management: Science, technical and academic organizations and entities.Position: Associate Professor
Tel: +27 (021) 959 4137
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Biography
Professor Sally Macfarlane joined IDIA as our Associate Director for Development and Outreach as of October 1. In this position Professor Sally Macfarlane also joined the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of the Western Cape as an Associate Professor.
Professor Sally Macfarlane is well known to the public outreach community of South African astronomy. Among her many outreach activities, she serves as co-chair of the Outreach and Education Committees of both the African Astronomical Society and the IAU GA2024. She is the National Astronomy Education Coordinator for the IAU South African Office for Astronomy Education, and is also the Deputy Chair of the African Planetarium Society. She has produced or co-produced Planetarium films on South African astronomy, and has worked as a presenter, educator, editor, marketer, and creative developer at the Digital Dome of the Iziko Planetarium.
Within Research, Professor Sally Macfarlane is one of the South African Rubin-LSST Affiliates working with Dr David Buckley and team at SAAO on visualization and transient science.
Tel: +27 (021) 959 4137
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Biography
Professor Sally Macfarlane joined IDIA as our Associate Director for Development and Outreach as of October 1. In this position Professor Sally Macfarlane also joined the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of the Western Cape as an Associate Professor.
Professor Sally Macfarlane is well known to the public outreach community of South African astronomy. Among her many outreach activities, she serves as co-chair of the Outreach and Education Committees of both the African Astronomical Society and the IAU GA2024. She is the National Astronomy Education Coordinator for the IAU South African Office for Astronomy Education, and is also the Deputy Chair of the African Planetarium Society. She has produced or co-produced Planetarium films on South African astronomy, and has worked as a presenter, educator, editor, marketer, and creative developer at the Digital Dome of the Iziko Planetarium.
Within Research, Professor Sally Macfarlane is one of the South African Rubin-LSST Affiliates working with Dr David Buckley and team at SAAO on visualization and transient science.
Position:Senior Lecturer
Tel: +27 (021) 959
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Biography:
I am primarily an observational astronomer focused on using multi-wavelength data to study processes related to galaxy formation and evolution. I have also worked on producing and using synthetic data products (mainly HI data cubes) to quantify the systematic uncertainties in results generated by various experimental methods (e.g., HI spectral line stacking).Position: Senior Lecturer
Tel: +27 (021) 959
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Biography:
With the next generation of telescopes almost upon us, such as the radio telescope the Square Kilometre Array (www.skatelescope.org) and the optical Rubin Observatory Legacy Survey of Space and Time (www.lsst.org), my research focus is on rethinking how to do scientific analysis in the era of massive datasets. This largely involves developing new machine learning and statistical tools to best leverage new astronomical data. As one of the South African LSST Principle Investigators, I’m working to develop machine learning classification algorithms to handle the billions of new astrophysical transients that LSST will detect. I’m also heavily involved in efforts to optimise LSST’s observing strategy, given it’s many and ambitious science goals. On the radio side I’m interested in a new approach to source-finding and how best to combine optical and radio data, particularly for HI applications such as the LADUMA survey on the SKA pathfinder MeerKAT (https://science.ska.ac.za/meerkat). I’m also particularly interested in the exciting question of scientific discovery in the era where most data cannot be monitored by human eyes and am working to develop general-purpose anomaly detection techniques for use with LSST, SKA and other telescopes. My position is joint between UWC and the South African Radio Astronomy Observatory.Position: Lecturer
Tel: +27 (021) 959 9742
Fax: +27 (021) 959 3474
Biography:
The MeerKAT radio telescope set in South Africa has been proposed as the instrument that will conduct a neutral hydrogen intensity mapping survey (HI IM) in single-dish mode. A HI IM survey with MeerKAT will provide a great opportunity to study the composition and evolution of our universe. Measuring the cosmological HI signal is a challenging task due to the many systematics from the radio telescope. My research focus has been in providing a detailed analysis of the impact of the telescope primary beam on the contamination of data using a realistic simulation of the HI IM observation pipeline.Apart from research, I am involved in the training of future scientists. I am a lecturer and course coordinator for Physics 112, an introductory course for first-year pharmacy students, and Physics 327, a galaxies and cosmology course for 3rd year physics students.
I am an NGAP Lecturer and PhD student working with Prof Mario Santos and Prof Roy Maartens at the Centre for Radio Cosmology. My main research area is in Cosmology, in the subject of HI intensity mapping. My project involves simulating single dish primary beam effects on foregrounds, particularly concentrating on their frequency dependence, and effects on point sources. Understanding single dish instrumental effects will be important for foreground cleaning when conducting HI intensity mapping studies with telescopes such as the MeerKAT and future SKA telescope. Away from research, my other interests are in public outreach, STEM education and farming.
