 Welcome to our School
Dr Steve Pelly joined our ranks as a Lecturer in January 2009. Steve obtained his MSc from our School in 1996, and after some years in the workplace, returned for PhD research, which he completed in 2005. He spent the next few years at the CSIR in Modderfontein, where he developed considerable expertise in medicinal chemistry. His experience in the modelling of drug-enzyme interactions will give a much-needed boost to our growing involvement in medicinal chemistry; Steve has already managed to establish some valuable interactions with colleagues both in the University and elsewhere in the country.
Mohsin Desai, our new IT consultant, also joined the School in January. Mohsin was formerly associated with the University s Central Networking Services, and his contacts there will serve the School in good stead. In a School the size of ours, Mohsin will never be short of customers who have computer-related problems!
Dr Adele Hart joined the School as a Principal Tutor in mid-March. Although Adele s PhD degree was in Biochemistry, her association with this School goes back a long way - not only did she pass through our hands as an undergraduate, but she also served as a tutor in the late 1980s. She spent many years as a high-school teacher, most recently at King David, but academia has always beckoned. We are delighted to welcome her back.
Thuthuka Mabaso joined the School on 10 June as a Senior Technician in the Analytical Environmental Chemistry Laboratory. Thuthuka, who holds a Diploma in Analytical Chemistry, is no stranger to the School; he did his in-service training here with Professor Ewa Cukrowska.
Dr Ts enolo Lerotholi joined the staff as a lecturer at the end of August. Ts enolo completed her PhD at Cambridge under the supervision of Sir David King (a Wits graduate, for those who don t know), and thereafter spent three years as a post-doctoral researcher at the University of Warwick. Her specialisation is the study of molecules adsorbed on to surfaces, and she has expertise in a variety of sophisticated techniques such as near-edge X-ray absorption fine edge (NEXAFS) spectroscopy and low-energy X-ray diffraction (LEED) for studying these systems.
Hitman (Muzi) Gumede , known to all of us from his work with SuperCare, joined the School on 1 November, and we are very pleased to have him on the permanent staff. He will be assisting Joyce Gama in the third year laboratory.
Retirements and Resignations
Dr Gail Green , a Principal Tutor in our School, and our Director of first-year Studies, chose to take early retirement so that she and her recently retired husband Brian (also a PhD graduate of our School) could spend their golden years in jaunts around the country (not to mention gardening and watching TV...). The farewell party that the School threw for Gail on 27 February was one of the most riotous we have experienced, and Gail s hilarious farewell speech had the partygoers in stitches. She will be sorely missed!
Mvuyisi Ngqola , the technician in the Environmental Analytical Chemistry group, resigned in mid-April to take up a position in the industrial sphere. We wish him well in his new career.
We said farewell at the end of August to Steve Gannon , our Senior Glassblower. Steve, who has been with the School for 18 years, has decided to take early retirement. He and his wife Louise will be moving to Gansb i in the Cape, where he plans to spend his days in fishing, golf and TV-watching. We wish both of them all the best for the future.
Caiphus Ngema , the assistant in the third year laboratory, retired owing to ill health. We trust that he will enjoy a comfortable retirement.
Dr Justice Moloto resigned at the end of September to take up a post at the University of Johannesburg (Doornfontein). Justice helped to build up our new undergraduate programme in Materials Science, and also served as the School s Safety Officer for the past year. We hope to maintain regular contact with him on the research front.
Condolences
We extend our sincerest condolences to the family of Professor George Brink , who passed away on 30 March after a long battle with cancer. George was a long-serving member of staff in this School who retired in 2006 after distinguished service as a teacher of physical chemistry and as our Director of First-Year Studies.
Dr Chris Nicolaides passed away on 9 October after a protracted battle with cancer. Chris was trained at Wits, and obtained his PhD in the early 1980s under the supervision of Neil Coville. He initially worked at the CSIR (catalysis), but subsequently joined the staff of this School, where he supervised a number of post-graduate students. He maintained strong contacts with us and continued to interact with our staff and students after moving to Sasol in the late 1990s. Chris was also very active in CATSA. We extend heartfelt condolences to his family.
Congratulations
to Siziwe Gqoba, our Senior Tutor in charge of the undergraduate laboratories, on obtaining her MSc degree from Walter Sisulu University.
to Gaby Meirim, on receiving the Convocation Distinguished Teacher Award in the Faculty of Science. Gaby is also a previous winner (with Sandy Lotz) of the Faculty s Team Teaching Award. Well deserved, Gaby!
to Luke Chimuka, on his promotion to Associate Professor.
to Hlanganai Tutu, on his promotion to Senior Lecturer.
to Joyce Gama and Tapuwa Dzara, on the upgrading of their posts to Senior Technician.
Our post-graduate students have also distinguished themselves this year. We congratulate the following on their achievements:
Tlabo Leboho, on being awarded a Fulbright Scholarship for a year s study at Notre Dame University in the USA.
Sabelo Mhlanga (first prize for oral presentation) and Ahmed Shaikjee (third prize for poster presentation), at the NanaoAfrica 2009 conference, held at the CSIR in February;
Edward Nxumalo, on being awarded first place for PhD students at the Nanoscience Young Researcher symposium held at the CSIR on 18 September; and Ahmed Shaikjee and Dean Barrett, on winning first and third prizes for MSc students at the same symposium.
the post-graduate students who represented the School at the University s post-graduate symposium on 20 and 21 October 2009. Faculty poster prizes were awarded to Ahmed Shaikjee (Faculty of Science, supervised by Neil Coville) and Titus Tlotleng (Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment, supervised by Sanja Potgieter-Verm k).
Mahluli Moyo, for winning the second prize in the poster session at the recent CATSA conference.
Nikiwe Kunjuzwa, on being elected to the executive of the student chapter of SANi.
Graduations
Our congratulations go to the postgraduate students who graduated at the ceremonies held during 2009:
PhD:
Stephen Pole (21 April)
Sabelo Mhlanga (23 June)
Wonga Hexana, Linda Linganiso and Sameshnee Pelly (25 November)
MSc:
Julien Lusilao Makiese and Sandra Reisinger (21 April)
Elysee Bakatula Nsimba and Stefania Scalzullo (23 June)
Avril Ley (25 June)
Sibongile Dube, Nikiwe Kunjuzwa, Byron Mhaka, Jeremy Naidoo, Zikhona Tetana and Themba Tshabalala (25 November)
Wits Chemistry Continues to Rank in the Top 1%
Wits Chemistry is in the Top 1% of Chemistry Departments in the World. The latest results from ISI s Essential Science Indicators (May 2009), which covers citations over a ten-year period, identifies countries and institutions in which work is produced that is quoted in the peer literature. Thus it is a measure of the significance and impact of the work produced. The Country Ranking is a ranking by total number of citations within a discipline and only the top 50% of countries are ranked. For Chemistry, South Africa is ranked 42 of 93 ranked countries. Put another way, this means that of 186 countries, South Africa was placed 42nd in Chemistry citations. This is not a bad feat at all, but South Africa was in 39th (of 88) position in 2002.
The survey also looks at individual institutions. To be ranked, an institution must be in the top 1% within a discipline. Of the 22 categories covered in the survey, Wits was placed in the top 1% in Clinical Medicine, Chemistry, Engineering, Environment/Ecology, Geosciences, Plant and Animal Science, and in General Social Sciences. Wits Chemistry has again made the top 1% list; we were placed 684 out of 892 institutions from all over the world. Other SA Universities to make the grade include the University of Cape Town (772) and the University of Stellenbosch (778).
Faculty of Science Prize Ceremony
The 31st Annual Faculty of Science Prize Giving Ceremony was held on Wednesday 13 May 2009. The following awards for Chemistry were presented at the ceremony:
The 2008 Penny Huddle Memorial Award
The award is made by the School of Chemistry in memory of Dr Penny Huddle, an exceptional teacher in the School. There are two awards, each to the value of R1000. The first is to a postgraduate student who has shown exceptional ability as a tutor and demonstrator. Candidates are nominated by their peers or members of staff and selected by a selection committee of representatives of the academic staff, the technical staff and the postgraduate students.
Awarded to: Sabelo Mhlanga The second is to a postgraduate student who has shown exceptional ability as a demonstrator in the first year undergraduate laboratory. The winner is chosen by a survey of first year students.
Awarded to: Ahmed Shaikjee
3M Achievement Award for Chemistry I 2008
This bronze medal and a cheque for R300 is awarded to the student who obtains the highest mark in the Chemistry Major Course in the first year of study.
Awarded to: Bianca Dias3M Achievement Award for Chemistry II 2008
This silver medal and a cheque for R500 is awarded to the student who obtains the highest mark in the Chemistry Major Course in the second year of study.
Awarded to: Vashen MoodleyMerck Achievemen t Award for Chemistry III 2008
This prize of R1000 and a gold medal, donated by E. Merck SA (Pty) Ltd, is awarded annually to the most outstanding student in Chemistry III.
Awarded to: Lebogang Maku
3M Achievement Award for Chemistry Honours 2008
This gold medal and a cheque for R1000 is awarded to the student who obtains the highest overall mark in either of the Chemistry Honours Courses.
Awarded to: Caitlin Zipp
Achievement Award for Applied Chemistry Honours 2008
A cheque for R1000 is awarded to the student who obtains the highest mark in the Applied Chemistry Course.
Awarded jointly to: Caren Gamble and Vanessa Vieira
Sasol Achievement Awards 2008
These awards of a medal and R750 each are awarded for the best two Honours projects in Chemistry.
Awarded jointly to: Caitline Zipp and Vanessa Vieira
Wastetech Chemistry Laboratory Prize 2008
This prize of R300 is awarded for the best laboratory work performed by a student majoring Chemistry III.
Awarded to: Melissa Florczak
South African Chemical Institute Awards
The following awards to members of this School were announced at the SACI Annual General Meeting, held on 30 July 2009.
James Moir Medal
This national award is made only to the top Honours students at South African universities.
Awarded to: Caitlin ZIpp
SASOL Postgraduate Medal
This medal is awarded to students engaged in research towards a MSc or PhD degree at a University, or a MTech or DTech degree at a University or Institute of Technology. The award of the medal is limited to one per institution..
Awarded to: Sameshnee Pelly
Chemical Education Award
The award is made to a person who has made an outstanding contribution to chemical education as judged by the person s published work in the previous five years. Published work may be in any form and may be related to any level or educational context.
Awarded to: Dr Gail Green
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