Excellence, relevance and societal impact celebrated at VC’s Awards
- Wits University
Wits champions and values celebrated at the 2025 Vice-Chancellor’s Awards.
Three core themes - excellence, relevance and societal impact - dominated the annual awards hosted on 23 October when the University celebrated outstanding members of the Wits community.
This event held significance as it marked the final Council engagement for Mr Isaac Shongwe, who has served for two terms as the Chairperson of Council, the University’s highest decision-making body responsible for strategic direction and governance.
Reflecting on two decades of service to Wits, including his tenure on the Board of Governors and as Chair of the Wits Business School Advisory Council, Shongwe described his leadership journey - from the challenges of #FeesMustFall to the Covid-19 pandemic and the emergence of artificial intelligence.
“Like all great journeys, ours has not always been smooth sailing,” he said. “We have faced stormy seas, moments when the waves threatened to overtake us, when winds of change blew hard against our bows. In all of these, I saw the true spirit of Wits - a university anchored not only in excellence, but in humanity.”
Extending gratitude on behalf of the University, Vice-Chancellor and Principal Professor Zeblon Vilakazi lauded Shongwe’s ethical and visionary leadership, crediting him with helping to shape a “culture that is ethical, collegiate, and forward-thinking.”
“Excellence without relevance can be admired but not heard; relevance without excellence can be loud but hollow; and impact without either fades too quickly to matter,” Vilakazi said, affirming that Wits’ strength lies in its people and culture.
In congratulating the recipients of the VC’s Awards, Vilakazi said all awardees are a representation of excellence, relevance and impact in action.
VICE-CHANCELLOR’S AWARDS
The Vice-Chancellor’s Awards are among Wits University’s most prestigious honours, celebrating exceptional talent and contribution across teaching, research, innovation, academic citizenship, transformation, and professional service. Winners are selected through rigorous adjudication, and each award is accompanied by a grant or cash prize.
Research Excellence
The Vice-Chancellor’s Research Award acknowledges the achievements of an exceptional Wits scholar who has demonstrated high levels of research excellence over a sustained period of time.
Professor Bavesh Kana (School of Pathology) and Professor Jonah Choiniere (Evolutionary Studies Institute), were named the joint winners of this category.
Prof. Kana’s groundbreaking gene-editing work has advanced a next-generation tuberculosis vaccine currently moving toward clinical trials, exemplifying Wits’ capacity for world-leading, life-saving innovation.
Prof. Choiniere, a global authority in dinosaur evolution and palaeobiology, has redefined scientific understanding of early dinosaurs through his research on the southern African fossil record, illuminating how ancient species lived, moved, and survived.
The pair were congratulated on their achievements in very different fields and the publishing of impactful research findings that have changed our world.
Innovation and Social Impact
Physicist Professor Bruce Mellado walked away with this prestigious award. A leading author on the discovery of the Higgs boson at CERN’s ATLAS experiment, Mellado’s research spans high-energy physics, artificial intelligence, and data-driven systems, earning him an h-index of 174 and positioning him among the most cited physicists in Africa.
Supervision Award
Professor Nicola Christofides from the School of Public Health was lauded for her tailored and empathetic approach to supervision, commitment to mentoring women and African scholars, and her dedication to building the next generation of supervisors and academic leaders. She has supervised more than 70 masters and PhD students over the past two decades, many of whom have gone on to leadership positions in universities, NGOs, and global organisations such as the CDC, and UNICEF.
Teaching Excellence
The School of Computer Science claimed both the individual and team categories.
- Individual Award: Professor Ritesh Ajoodha was recognised for pioneering the use of explainable AI and educational data mining to enhance student support and improve graduation outcomes. His work has directly informed faculty policy and equitable learning design.
- Team Award: Professor Richard Klein and Dr Pravesh Ranchod were honoured for developing a sophisticated automated marking system that revolutionised scalable assessment across programming courses, improving efficiency and learning outcomes.
Academic Citizenship
This award recognises staff whose professional and academic work makes a significant contribution to society. Academic citizenship is an essential part of Wits University #WitsForGood.
- Individual Award: Mocke Jansen van Veuren, an experimental filmmaker, multimedia artist, educator and Deputy Head of Wits Film & Television was celebrated for his work with the Beehive Culture Worx in Kliptown and Eldorado Park. This has supported the development of community-based film and animation production and education programmes, resulting in a growing culture of independent filmmaking in a community that has historically lacked access to arts education. Furthermore, he spearheaded industry partnerships including the Netflix Digital Equity project which provided laptops for students.
- Team Award: Allison Gilbert and Dr Craig Keyes in the Department of Forensic Medicine and Pathology were recognised for their collaboration with the South African Forensic Medico-Legal Laboratories, the Victim Identification Centre (SAPS), and the International Committee of the Red Cross to uphold standards of excellence in training, case management, and the humanitarian imperative to restore dignity and identity to the deceased.
Transformation Awards
This award honours individuals and teams driving inclusion, diversity, and social cohesion at Wits and beyond.
Individual Awards
- Ronnett Diale, a Principal Technician in the School of Electrical and Information Engineering spearheaded initiatives that upskill long-serving staff members and the alignment of job specifications to ensure equitable recognition for all team members. Diale’s efforts extended beyond professional development to structural transformation. He paved the way for the first female technician in the lab – a milestone that fostered gender diversity and inspired women postgraduate students to participate more confidently in technical spaces.
- De Gouveia, Operations Administrator in the Operations and Facilities Management Department (OFMD), led the successful development, planning, and implementation of the Adult Education and Training (AET) programme at OFMD. This initiative has created life-changing opportunities for employees with limited formal education, enabling them to improve their literacy, numeracy, and communication skills.
Team Awards
The Faculty of Health Sciences Transformation Committee, as well as the Faculty’s Wellness Committee, distinguished themselves through noteworthy initiatives including the removal of the age limit on research funding, championed mental health as a pillar of transformation, dedicated wellness rooms to support the breastfeeding and lactation needs of staff and students, ensured free sanitary pads supplied to students, led staff anti-bullying and anti-harassment workshops and training, and mentorship and support for staff and students in need.
Service Excellence Awards
These awards recognise Professional and Administrative Staff (PAS) who demonstrate exceptional customer service, process optimisation, and accountability.
Team award: The Analytics and Institutional Research Unit comprising Dr Celine Meyers, Lerato Makuapane, Thabang Kaneli, Richard van Rensburg, Stash Gomes and Dr Fezile Wagner, was honoured for their visionary leadership, and innovative approach in delivering the Wits@100 Cultures Study.
Individual Awards:
- Henderson Manyathela, External Operations Manager, in Campus Protection Services stood out as a remarkable leader and a staunch protector of the University’s people, property, and reputation in his role as External Operations Manager. He has showcased exceptional courage and professionalism, successfully recovering stolen University assets. His innovative strategies in operations and collaboration have significantly strengthened the University’s security and earning him well-deserved recognition from stakeholders including the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department, which awarded him an Excellence Award.
- Tankiso Sydney Moletsane, a systems analyst in the Development and Fundraising Office, was commended for his remarkable technical excellence, which have profoundly elevated the University’s fundraising and engagement capabilities. Since joining Wits, he has shown unwavering dedication to ensuring the seamless operation of critical systems, playing a pivotal role in the implementation of the Salesforce CRM, successfully integrating alumni and donor databases for the first time in over thirty years. He has propelled system and process improvements that have fortified data integrity and was instrumental in achieving SARS IT3(d) compliance.
- Thembelihle Dlamini, Head of Functions and Events, was celebrated for transforming Wits’ ceremonial experiences, including Welcome Day, the Wits Parade, and the launch of the Anglo American Digital Dome, and the Margo Steele School of Accountancy. She has introduced cutting-edge digital systems, enhanced vendor management, and nurtured a new generation of student assistants and service providers, exemplifying operational excellence and developmental leadership. She has guided the Wits Choir during a pivotal transition and has elevated the University’s events to world-class experiences that truly reflect Wits’ excellence and prestige.