UWC’s extraordinary women leading the way
Striving for gender equity and to realise benefits of diversity, empowerment
THE University of Western Cape (UWC) has dedicated Women’s Month with a focus on the institution’s extraordinary women. The university says it strongly believes in gender equity and in realising the full benefits of diversity and empowerment.
“It is committed to the development of all women – in all aspects. And we celebrate their success in higher education and beyond.”
In a series we focus on five more women making their mark in the academic field.
Dr Jantjies, from UWC’s Department of Information Systems, is passionate about using technology to enable children – especially girls – from disadvantaged backgrounds to get access to online resources, learn programming skills and gain exposure to technology such as robotics. She’s been named one of the #Inspiring50SA, the M&G Young 200, and the Young Mandelas.
“There are many historical challenges that still plague our schools: high learner ratios, the limited number of teachers skilled in technology and mathematics, not to mention the limited access of learners to technological resources. If we want to make a real change in society and the economy, we need to address those challenges with all the resources at our disposal.”
Jantjies is a holder of a Google grant to develop curricula to educate teachers how to use technology to support computer science learning in schools. She was a finalist in the MTN/Kagiso Media Women in ICT Partnership For Change Awards, a panelist at the 2017 G20 Women 20 Dialogue in Germany and one of the Mail & Guardian Young 200 Top Achievers Under 35 for 2017.
“I dedicate much of my research to seeing how to develop mobile learning software systems, accessible in South African languages in STEM subjects, that support teaching and learning in this area,” she says.
“In developing various adaptive mobile systems, I hope to address the existing contextual challenges in these sectors.”
UWC senior lecturer in Physical Chemistry, Dr Ngece-Ajayi, is a research leader in the field of drug metabolism nanobiosensors for antiretrovirals and tuberculosis treatment drugs. Additionally, she’s the founder and a leader of AmaQawe ngeMfundo, a non-profit foundation which aims to promote and enrich STEM by providing assistance with academic resources and infrastructure at schools in marginalised communities.
“With enough willpower any child can succeed, no matter their living conditions and background. These factors never define you, or are limiting factors when it comes to a child’s potential. My advice is to build hope and to have a plan.”
“We visit schools with our makeshift mobile laboratory and give learners access to interactive demonstrations and experiments to help make learning more practical,” she explains. “Then there are times we take them on outings – to the Cape Town Science Centre, for instance. One of the learners inspired by that trip would like to become a forensic biologist.”
A leading expert in the field of environmental remediation, water treatment, and beneficiation of industrial wastes, Professor Petrik recently received the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) Water Research Commission (WRC) Award for her work towards achieving sustainable water management, knowledge generation and solutions.
Professor Petrik’s hard work paid off when she was honoured by the NSTF at the 20th anniversary celebration of the flagship NSTF32 project – often called the “Science Oscars”.
“Upon reflection, it is always welcome to receive external, positive appraisal of the relevance of one’s science,” Professor Petrik says. “And for me, personally, this is a significant achievement, as I only received my PhD – from UWC – in 2008.”
In the decade since, Professor Petrik has contributed significantly in skills development and innovation in the field of environmental remediation, water treatment, and waste reuse in South Africa.
She was the recipient of the 2012 UWC Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Researcher Award, the same year she was recognised as a Distinguished Women Scientist in Physical and Engineering Sciences by the Department of Science and Technology. Among her other accolades is receiving the Grant Thornton 2016 Inspirational Women Award.
That same year, she received 2016 Businesswoman of the Year Award: Science and Technology from the Businesswomen’s Association of South Africa.
Mentor, a medical bioscientist, attended the prestigious 68th Lindau Nobel Meeting earlier this year, and was selected as a 2018 Fulbright Scholar. At age 29, she is already a published scientist in prominent scientific journals, and she was the first recipient of the coveted national Wyndham Prize from the Physiology Society of Southern Africa in 2014.
Mentor is one of only six South African female scientists nominated by the Academy of Science of SA to attend the meeting in Germany. There, 600 of the world’s brightest minds, including Nobel Prize-winning scientists, shared their ideas on physiology and medicine.
As part of her doctoral studies, she wants to redefine the theoretical interpretation of the functional composition of the brain’s protective barrier properties. “My original research was situated squarely within the context of substance abuse. My neighbourhood, like many others in the greater Cape Town, experiences high levels of substance abuse, in particular methamphetamine – and this inspired me to look at the science behind it.
“In my honours year I investigated the effects of methamphetamine on the bloodbrain barrier (BBB) permeability, since the mechanism may be linked to the integrity of the BBB, which regulates the movement of ions, pathogens, and an array of harmful substances across brain capillaries, protecting the cognitive integrity of the central nervous system.”