Tukkievaria May 2016 Volume 34 Number 1

Tukkievaria Staff Newsletter | Personeelnuusbrief | Ditaba Tša Bašomi May 2016 Volume 34 Number 1 | Mei 2016 Volume 34 Nommer 4 | Mopitlo 2016 Kgatišo 34 Nomoro 1

INSIDE 02

Academic Year

03 VC says thank you

04 StripeUP 2016

2015 Academic Achievers Awards Each year the University of Pretoria (UP) hosts a gala occasion to pay tribute to academics who have shown exceptional achievement in the preceding year. The 2015 Academic Achievers Awards function took place in the Rautenbach Hall on UP’s Hatfield Campus on Tuesday, 5 April and was attended by about 260 guests.

The Vice-Chancellor and Principal of UP, Prof Cheryl de la Rey, said that the event is one of the highlights on the University’s calendar ‘where we celebrate excellence in the core functions of the University and pay tribute to our academic stars and NRF-rated researchers’. She added that despite the turbulent times experienced recently by higher education in South Africa, a key success factor to survival and growth is dedicated staff who are committed to excellence in research and teaching and learning. She congratulated all who featured in this year’s Academic Achievers publication, saying that they light the way on the institution’s path of progress to its vision of becoming a leading research-intensive university in Africa, recognised for developing people, creating knowledge and making a difference both locally and globally.

Awards are made in several categories at the prestigious event: The Chancellor’s Award is made in recognition of exceptional achievement in research aimed at advancing science and the associated promotion of UP’s interests.

This year, it was awarded to Prof Bernard Slippers of the Department of Genetics in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. He is a research leader in the Tree Protection Co-operative Programme and Centre of Excellence in Tree Health Biotechnology in the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI).

Chancellor's Award: Prof Bernard Slippers receive the Chancellor's Award from the Chancellor Prof Nkuhlu

Prof Slippers’ research focuses on the ecology, evolution and management of insects and fungi that affect tree health. He uses genetic, genomic and chemical tools to characterise global patterns of spread of invasive tree pests and pathogens, as well as their population dynamics, communication systems and mating strategies.

He has made critical contributions to understanding structure and diversity in plant-associated fungal and insect communities, from population level to species

and communities. This work has led to the discovery of numerous new pathogen and pest species, some of which threaten forestry world-wide. Prof Slippers has contributed to the development of biological control programmes for plantation pests, and also to the establishment of a major Biocontrol Research Centre at the University. Among the awards Prof Slippers has received are the Southern African Association for the Advancement of Science, British Association Medal (Silver) and the JE Vanderplank Award from the Southern African Society for Plant Pathology. He holds a B1 rating from the NRF and has published more than 180 papers, including in high-profile journals such as Science, Trends in Ecology and Evolution and Trends in Plant Science. Prof Slippers also currently leads the Future Africa project at UP, which focuses on developing excellence in transdisciplinary science leadership in Africa.

The Vice-Chancellor’s Book Awards are made once a year in the Humanities and Social Sciences, and in the Natural and Applied Sciences in recognition of and to reward authors of scholarly books, monographs and collections. Two awards are bestowed each year provided that books of sufficient merit have been nominated. Nominated books can be written in any of South Africa’s official languages and have to bring credit to UP in their fields.

A- RATED Researchers: UPs A- RATED researchers with guests from the NRF from left, Prof Erika de Wet, A rated researcher, Faculty of Law, Dr Dorsamy (Gansen) Pillay, Deputy Chief Executive Officer: Research and Innovation Support and Advancement, NRF, Prof Xiaohua Xia, A rated researcher, Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, Prof Nkuhlu, Prof De la Rey, Dr Qhobela, Dr Rocky Skeef , Executive Director: Reviews and Evaluation, NRF and Prof Pedro Crous, A rated researcher, Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences.

Academy of Arts and Sciences in Utrecht, the Netherlands, and professor at the universities of Stellenbosch and Pretoria, and Utrecht and Wageningen in the Netherlands.

At UP he is a professor in the Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology in the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (FABI), Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences. Prof Crous received his DSc from UP in 2009. As a phytomycologist his main interest lies in the evolution and phylogeny of plant pathogenic fungi, especially Dothideomycetes, Diaporthales and Hypocreales. A main aim of Prof Crous’s research group is to determine genetic variation in species and populations, and to develop molecular tools that will enable rapid detection of such pathogens because of their consequences for quarantine and trade. His research group consists of postdoctoral researchers and students in several countries in Europe, Africa, Asia and South America. Over the past six years he was elected as corresponding member of the Royal Academy for Overseas Sciences (2010), received the Founders’ Award from the European Mycological Association (2011), was awarded honorary membership of the Mycological Society of America (2012) and became an elected fellow of the Southern African Society for Plant Pathology (2013).

Vice-Chancellor's Book

Award: Prof Corrinne Prof Corinne Sandwith Sandwith received the Book was this year’s recipient Award. of the Vice-Chancellor’s Book Award for her book, A world of letters: Reading communities and cultural debates in early apartheid South Africa. In her pioneering study she recovers a rich historical tradition of public debate about literature and culture in South Africa for our troubled times. Prof Sandwith is an associate professor in the Department of English and joined UP in June 2014. Her research interests include the history of reading, criticism and public debate in early apartheid South Africa focusing on marginal print cultures and the dissident press, with a special interest in questions of violence, crime and the body.

Prof Pedro Crous was the recipient of this year’s only NRF A1 Researcher Award. He is the Director of the Centraalbureau voor Schimmelcultures (CBS) (Fungal Biodiversity Centre), an institute of the Royal Dutch

Academic Achievers: Among the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences’ academics that were acknowledged as Exceptional Academic Achievers were, on the left, Prof Louis Nel and Prof Teresa Coutinho and on the right, Prof Jean Lubuma en Prof Johan Taylor. In the middle of the photograph are Dr Molapo Qhobela and Prof Cheryl de la Rey.

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Tukkievaria April 2016

EBIT Dean wins Engineering Excellence award

EBIT Celebrates 60 Years: 1956 - 2016 The Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Information Technology (EBIT) hosted Grade 10–12 learners at this year’s first EBIT Week, which took place from 29 March–1 April 2016. This event serves as an excellent marketing tool for the Faculty as it attracts top learners in Mathematics and Physical Science from across South Africa and neighbouring countries. The learners were housed at Tuks residences where they got a feel for student life.

Through lectures and lab visits in the nine engineering disciplines, these young minds were equipped with the information necessary to assist them in making informed career choices. The learners ended the programme with visits to various engineering-related industrial sites where they gained first-hand experience of being an engineer.

Learners interested in Mechanical and Aeronautical Engineering participated in a hands-on workshop in the Departments’ labs where they engaged in two projects: the CDIO Lego Project (where they designed and built a small Lego car) and the Aerofoil Project (where they were tasked with numerically simulating and experimentally testing a National Association for Clean Air (NACA) aerofoil profile).

Dean of EBIT, Prof Sunil Maharaj was really pleased and said that Engineering week had been running for over 10 years, and was one of their success stories. “Historically we found that the majority of our students who enrolled for engineering at Tuks have attended an Engineering Week, which helped them decide to enrol with us.

Particularly this year has had been well attended despite the week falling during the holidays. We had in excess of 200 attendees. One of our targets is to attract more women in engineering.”

As part of the Faculty 60 Year of Engineering, companies such as SENTECH, POWERTECH and ATNS sponsered female learners from disadvantaged backgrounds with an average of 70 % in Maths and Science to attend the 2016 Engineering Week.

On the University’s 108th birthday, the Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Cheryl de la Rey addressed staff and thanked staff for their cooperation, understanding and loyalty during the protests that marked the start of the year.

Prof De la Rey unpacked the implications of the no fee increase which President Zuma agreed to at the end of 2015. One of the implications is that government needed to make funds available because a significant number of SA universities are facing bankruptcy. To address this, government allocated R4.6 billion for NSFAS and a further R2.3 billion to universities directly. Of this, UP received R132 million from government to cover our shortfall of R189 million and UP contributed R57 million. In the matter of historic debt, UP is owed R97 million. The missing middle students would be addressed from 2018 onwards.

The damage to institutional assets at universities around SA has amounted to more than R150 million from the October 2015 protests to the present.

This award, sponsored by Doble Engineering, is awarded to an electrical or electronic engineer who is a member of SAIEE and has excelled in electrical engineering, and recognises individuals for outstanding and dedicated contributions to furthering the growth and development of the community, and of SAIEE’s activities in support of the electrical engineering profession.

Every day ended with activities that allowed the learners to interact with each other; games were played that presented them with intellectual challenges, and on Braai and Dance Night they had the opportunity to interact socially.

Academic Year 2016

Prof De la Rey contextualised the 2015 to recent protest action in a global light of an increasingly politicised environment in the higher education sector around the world, citing Canada and Chile’s protests as examples.

Prof Sunil Maharaj was recently honoured by the South African Institute of Electrical Engineers (SAIEE) at their annual Banquet and Awards Function when he became the first ever university academic to receive the Engineering Excellence award.

UP 2016: Vice-Chancellor and Principal Prof Cheryl de la Rey addresses the crowd.

The Vice-Chancellor commended UP students for their impeccable and peaceful conduct during the #FeesMustFall protests.

The University’s task team on Insourcing was established to oversee the implementation of the agreement signed by all parties. Workers would then receive R10 000 gross per month by the end of 2018. There will be a phased approach to insourcing as contracts expire and existing salaries will be topped up.

Prof de la Rey concluded by reiterating that we need to continue striving for relevance, diversity, sustainability and quality; and added that a key quality of UP over the course of its existence has been its resilience and a loyal and dedicated staff and that UP is still a university of choice for top achievers.

For engineering excellence: Prof Sunil Maharaj receiving the award from SAIEE’s President, Mr André Hoffmann

New Director for Jazz Studies Prof Mageshan Naidoo who was recently appointed as Director for Jazz Studies in the Department of Music at the University of Pretoria (UP) has been elected President of the South African Association for Jazz Education (SAJE) .

As a US Fulbright Student, he graduated with a Doctorate of Musical Arts (Performance) from the University of Southern California (USC), Los Angeles, and holds a MM degree (Studio/Jazz Guitar Performance) from USC, a MMus Degree (Performance and Jazz Composition) which he completed cum laude.

Prof Naidoo has won numerous awards for music and has performed extensively internationally as an acclaimed guitarist. His performance credits include internationally acclaimed artists and some of the highlights of his career include performing at the private birthday party of President Nelson Mandela and performances at both the Commonwealth Heads of State and African Heads of State conferences.

University of Pretoria

UP Autumn Graduations

Universiteit van Pretoria

Yunibesithi ya Pretoria

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Aangestel om in EMBAC-kuratorium te dien Tanya van Lill, Direkteur: Akademiese Programme by die Universiteit van Pretoria (UP) se Gordon Institute of Business Science (GIBS), is onlangs benoem om vanaf Januarie 2016 in die kuratorium van die Uitvoerende Raad van Meesters in Bedryfsadministrasie (Executive Master of Business Administration Council, EMBAC) te dien.

Aangestel om in EMBAC te dien: Tanya van Lill

EMBAC is 'n akademiese vereniging wat die MBAbedryf wêreldwyd verteenwoordig met die doel om die oogmerke van MBA-bestuursprogramme te bevorder deur die deel van beste praktyk en kennisverspreiding te fasiliteer en by te dra tot die ontwikkeling van programme van hoë gehalte.

The Autumn Graduation Ceremonies of the University of Pretoria were held recently, and once again it was a memorable and special occasion for graduates who received their degrees and certificates after their successful completion of their studies.What made this year’s graduation ceremonies extra special, was that the University reached the unique milestone of an impressive total of 250 000 graduate alumni registered on its database.

This year a total of 11 328 degrees, diplomas and certificates were conferred during the ceremonies, at the Rembrandt Hall at the LC de Villiers Sports Grounds, South Street in Hatfield. Among the recipients of the 10 796 degrees, 188 received prestigious doctor’s degrees, 1 430 master’s degrees and 2 988 honours degrees.An honorary doctor’s degree will be conferred upon the German-born theologian Dr Theo Sundermeier.

Ms Tayla Skye Robinson, who was recently crowned

VC says thank you

as the second princess in the Miss South Africa contest, received her Honours degree in Marketing Management and the current Mr South Africa, Armand du Plessis, received his LLB degree.The Faculty of Law has further reason to celebrate since 52 of their LLB graduates managed to complete their degrees cum laude this year.

Mother and son also graduated on the same day. Mrs Juanita Haug for BAdmin in Public Administration and her son, Mr Ricky Haug received a BAdmin: Public Management.

The Vice-Chancellor and Principal, Prof Cheryl de la Rey, hosted a function to express the University’s gratitude for the services rendered by the SAPS, the Tshwane Metro Police and UP’s Department of Security Services during the recent protests.

“I wish to congratulate every graduate on this very special occasion. UP has been the University of Choice for many of the country’s top achievers at the end of Matric, and as our reputation continues to grow, a qualification from this University remains highly sought after.”

Bao ba fihleletšego makgaolakgang a Difoka tša Tšweletšopele tša 2015 tša Afrika Borwa ba Tsebišwa

Ka legorong la Tšweletšopele ya Setšhaba, HearScreen, tirišo ya foune ya go lekola go kwa e bile mothopasefoka.

Prof De Wet Swanepoel go tšwa Kgorong ya Phatholotši ya Polelo-Leleme le Odiolotši, e bile mohlami wa ketapele wa Hearscreen, mmogo le Ngaka Herman Myburgh go tšwa Kgorong ya Mohlagase, Elektroniki le Boentšenere bja Khomphutha.

Library week: Rachel Mahlangu from the Department of Library Services explains the significance of South African Library Week to some of the pupils of Leeuwfontein Primary Farm School.

South African Library Week To celebrate Library Week, 14 to 21 March 2016, UP’s Library Services, Elsabe Olivier, on the 15 March, arranged a visit to a nearby rural school, Leeuwfontein Primary Farm School, as part of the LIASA MAIG (Marketing and Advocacy Interest Group)'s outreach project for South African Library Week and World Read Aloud Day 2016!

UP Department of Library Services staff members.

Staff members from the University of Pretoria’s Department of Library Services and University Relations, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University Library, a representative of Dintle Community Awakening as well as representatives of Sabinet formed part of the group. The theme for 2016 was #libraries4lifelonglearning.

Staff read to the students, books in their vernacular, thus enforcing the importance of reading, which was a pleasant surprise for all students. “We are going to change lives today colleagues,” said Deputy Director of UP Library Services, Elsabe Olivier as the staff neared the school. And that’s exactly what happened in that short time.

Prof De la Rey personally and sincerely thanked all the security services for their unwavering support and service to the University during the recent protests. She said: 'As a University, we do not have the necessary expertise and capacity to deal with all the security issues that accompanied [the protests]. We have to cooperate with and depend on our regional and national police services to contain situations that can so quickly spiral beyond our control.

Prof De la Rey also thanked Mr Colin Fouché and his team, as well as Prof Niek Grove, who had to make difficult decisions on the spot while remaining calm and professional.

Aan die einde van 2015 is GIBS weereens deur die VK se Financial Times Executive MBA Ranking 2015 as die topsakeskool in Suid-Afrika en Afrika aangewys. Volgens die mees onlangse gradering beklee GIBS se modulêre en deeltydse MBA-formate die 87ste plek wêreldwyd.

Prof Cheryl de la Rey, Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University said,

MyWorld of Tomorrow ka tirišano le Business Connexion le Business Day ba tsebagaditše bathopasefoka ba Difoka tša Tšweletšopele tša SA, tšeo maikemišetšo a tšona e lego go lemoga le go bontšha dikhamphani tša tšweletšopele le batho.

Keeping UP safe: The Vice-Chancellor and Principal with members of the SAPS, Brooklyn Police and the Tshwane Metro Police Department

Van Lill, wat verantwoordelik is vir die lewering van sowel GIBS se vlagskip-MBA en sy nagraadse en diplomaprogramme, is betrokke by EMBAC se onderrig en opleiding, netwerkbedrywighede en voorspraakpogings.

The 14 to 21 March 2016 was set aside by the Library and Information Association of South Africa (LIASA) as South African Library Week (SALW). and according to LIASA it presented a more holistic view of learning by knowing that it occurs in diverse environments. Well-resourced libraries contribute significantly towards lifelong learning.

O abetšwe: Ngaka Herman Myburgh o abetšwe sefoka sa Tšweletšopele ya Setšhaba le Mna Nic Klopper, Mohlankedimogolophethiši wa HearScreen

Elsabe Olivier said that in the wider perspective of things, the theme, #libraries4lifelonglearning, fitted into South Africa’s National Development Plan 2030 whereby it sought to eliminate poverty and inequality by 2030.

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Tukkievaria April 2016

Sport Blind student flourishes at UP

TuksAthletics: 18-year-old Munyai Shines

Carley Lomax is a visually impaired student at the University of Pretoria and obtained her BSport Science degree in 2011, a BA HMS Honor’s in Recreation and Corporate Wellness in 2012 and continued with postgraduate studies and graduated with a MA degree in Recreation and Sport Management recently.

She joined the TuksAthletics Club and represented South Africa at the IBSA (International blind sport association) athletics world championships in 2007 and was selected for the All Africa Games in 2015. She is currently training hard to qualify for the Rio 2016 Paralympic games held later this year and doing a postgraduate certificate in education at the University of Pretoria.

TuksSport High School Grade-11 student, Clarence Munyai only Eighteen-years-old, became one of the youngest male sprinters to win a title at the South African Senior Championships. He won the 200 m sprint race in a time of 20,74s. He was also part of the Athletics Gauteng North team that won the gold medal for the 4 x 100 m relay in a time of 40,02 s. Munyai is the South African Junior champion (under 20) in the 200 m event and has qualified for the Olympic Games in Rio. His PB (Personal Best) time is 20,36 s.

Tuks Rowers impress at World Cup in Italy At the finals of the World Cup Rowing Regatta in Varese, Italy Tuks/HPC rowing, James Thompson and John Smith, won the gold medal in the men’s lightweight double sculls final.

The decision made by Roger Barrow (national rowing coach also based at the Tuks/hpc) to change the women’s pair crew payed dividends. Kate Christowitz and Lee-Ann Persse were victorious in the women’s final.

World Cup victory: From left James Thompson, Lee-Ann Persse, Kate Christowitz and John Smith.

StripeUP 2016 TuksSport recently held their second annual StripeUP event during which all the current athletes, joined by the first-years, celebrated the successes of the past year, welcomed everyone to TuksSport and shared their thoughts about the year ahead and what it may have in store for them.

First-year student-athletes were given a taste of what it means and feels like to be part of the TuksSport family.

Many selfies were taken in the photo booth and a fullcolour stripe was constructed from quotes and goals that

Earning their stripes: Scenes from StripeUP 2016

the athletes had written down before they entered the Rembrandt Hall.

Entertainment in the form of motivational TuksSport videos, music, engaging MCs, dancers and cheerleaders created an exciting vibe. The TuksSport family, also known as the Stripe Generation, were taught the SG Shakedown – a signature dance move that will be performed at all future TuksSport home matches.

Prof Cheryl de la Rey and Mr Kobus van der Walt addressed the students and highlighted the special environment at TuksSport and the value and importance of ensuring a holistic education at UP. Mr Van der Walt emphasised the fact that being part of TuksSport and being allowed to wear the stripe was a unique privilege, while Prof de la Rey reminded the athletes that they should always wear the stripe with the utmost respect, dignity and pride.

Senior student-athletes Murray Coetzee, David Mogotlane and Jacinta Jubb assured the students that as members of TuksSport and the University of Pretoria they will be

exposed to the best opportunities and an environment that is highly conducive to achieving success in both their sport and studies. They emphasised the importance of maintaining a balance between their studies and sport and encouraged all the students to take engage wholeheartedly with both.

Prof De la Rey and Mr Van der Walt performed a symbolic hand-over of the stripe to the new AmaTuks head coach, Shaun Bartlett, the new Assupol TuksCricket head coach, Kruger van Wyk, and two new first-year bursary studentathletes, Jonathan Wing (TuksCanoe) and Shongile Hlungwana (TuksNetball). First-year athletes were then presented with symbolic Tuks bandanas and encouraged to join the Stripe Generation and earn their stripes in all areas of sport and academic life at the University of Pretoria.

Once the formalities were over, the athletes, coaches and support staff enjoyed socialising and getting to know each other – sharing their dreams, goals and aspirations for 2016.