Bathurst doctor makes history
First UFH woman with PhD in Chemistry
Pamela Rungqu from Bathurst in the Eastern Cape has blazed the trail by being the first South African woman to graduate with a Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry from the University of Fort Hare.
The daughter of a domestic worker and a former store manager, Rungqu who was born fourth our of five children and is also the first graduate in her family.
She graduated last Friday during the three-day May Graduation ceremonies.
“I was born in a small rural town where I completed my primary and high schooling.
“We had no Physical Science teachers, no laboratories and no computers in our schools,” she said.
Despite the lack of a physics teacher, Rungqu developed an interest for chemistry while she was in Grade 11.
“I became fascinated by the study of the composition, structure and properties of matter and I knew I wanted to pursue a career in the field.
“However, without a physics teacher, I knew it was not going to be easy and that I needed extra help.
“While in matric I attended a Winter School Programme in Port Alfred, about 14km from Bathurst.
“With the assistance from the lessons and tutoring sessions from the winter school, I was able to scale through and pass with flying colours.”
Rungqu passed matric with distinction and applied to Fort Hare to study for a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry and Computer Science in 2008.
“I chose Fort Hare based on its rich history and the quality of graduates it has produced.”
“At first, life on campus took a lot of adjusting. I had to learn to use a computer because I only had the theoretical understanding and had no practical knowledge.”
Despite the disadvantages she experienced at the start of her education during her primary and high school years, she went onto study chemistry to PhD level.
Her honours, masters and PhD study supervisor, Prof Opeoluwa Oyedeji, said: “Pamela was such a dutiful and responsible student proving that determination and focus was the key, not her background.”
Prof Oyedeji said she was his first honours project student in 2012 when he joined the UFH Chemistry Department.
“At the time she joined my research group there was no bursary for her, nonetheless, she was focused and completed her honours degree.
“She graduated and proceeded for her masters and doctoral study with me as her supervisor.
“Fortunately, we had a joint NRFIndigenous Knowledge System [IKS] funding project on medicinal plants used by traditional healers in the Eastern Cape for 2013-2015.
“She was among the students that benefitted from the funding along with a Sasol stipend which enabled her to complete her MSc with much ease.”
During her MSc degree, she published two articles in academic journals.
On completing her MSc study, she immediately registered for her PhD in 2016, which was funded fully by Sasol.
Her PhD research is centred on the chemical composition, analgesic and anti-inflammatory activities of two Pelargonium species and Hypoxis species for medicinal use.
Her findings suggest that the essential oils from the collected species can be used for pain management and arthritic inflammatory conditions, therefore validating the plants’ use in traditional medicine for pain and inflammation.
During her journey, she travelled to Mauritius and the US, where she presented part of her findings.
She has also published a book chapter from her thesis and is currently writing five manuscripts from her dissertation.
Rungqu says she hopes her accomplishment will serve as motivation to young girls and boys who come from a similar background as hers.
“I am excited and also in disbelief that a child from a rural school, like me, will become the first South African woman to be conferred a PhD Doctor of Philosophy in Chemistry from the University of Fort Hare.
“This is validation that your background does not limit how far you can go and what you can achieve in life,” she said.