Ranked among the few Agrometeorology graduates in the country, Ms Mulalo Thavhana has obtained a Master of Science in Agriculture at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. 

She is the first in her family to attain a postgraduate degree. ‘It is a proud moment for my mother and an inspiration to my younger brother,’ said Thavhana.

Thavhana, who studied for her Bachelor of Science in Hydrology and Soil Science at UKZN before completing her Honours in Geohydrology at the University of the Free State, was inspired to pursue Agrometeorology by her supervisors, Professor Michael Savage and Dr Mokhele Moeletsi of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC).

‘In my second year of study, Prof Savage made the modules very interesting and intriguing for a young mind, and seeing all that instrumentation was exciting,’ said Thavhana.

Dr Moeletsi and Dr Mitsuru Tsubo also introduced Thavhana, a professional development programme student at the ARC, to the field through the ARC Soil, Climate and Water’s Agrometeorology division. They encouraged Thavhana to become one of the country’s very few agrometeorologists and thereby make a difference in South Africa through this field.

‘Agrometeorology is multifaceted and cuts through different disciplines. My counterparts are studying very different and interesting things and yet we fall under the same division,’ said Thavhana.

‘There are so many layers to be peeled back and so much to be learned in this field,’ she added.

Thavhana’s master’s research was on the topic of runoff simulation using the soil and water assessment tool (SWAT) model for flood frequency analysis and design flood estimations in the Luvuvhu River catchment area in Limpopo.

Focusing on the Luvuvhu River catchment, Thavhana used a hydrological model to estimate flooding in the area. The model helped her evaluate the extent of the floods that would be occurring in the catchment and the rate in which they would be occurring in the future.

Thavhana said previous flood disasters caught the Luvuvhu community unaware and unprepared. ‘The effects of the flooding could have been minimised through proper planning and management strategies.’

Her study is aimed at informing relevant bodies such as disaster management agencies, extension officers and farmers about what to expect in the future, so that proper plans may be put in place for better preparedness. She hopes her work will provide a reference point for decision-making and planning about development and flood adaptation during the flooding season in the area.

‘I also hope this influences the improvement of transfer of knowledge to the community and farmers in terms of weather forecasts and flood warnings so that people may be better prepared,’ said Thavhana.

A paper based on her work has been accepted for publication in the Physics and Chemistry of the Earthjournal.

Thavhana, who thanked God for the possibilities provided to her, is planning to pursue a PhD in her field. She thanked her mother and aunt for their prayers and encouragement, and her brother, friends and cousins for inspiring her to persevere and go as far as she can.

Visits to his grandparents’ farm inspired Mr Stuart Demmer to pursue studies in Ecological Sciences.

Demmer graduated summa cum laude with a Bachelor of Science Honours in Ecological Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He said he chose rangeland ecology because of his love for the creation humans are a part of. ‘There are so many intricacies which make the world around us function so perfectly. But when humans begin to mess with our environment things quickly start going wrong and have massive knock on effects which become difficult to fix. My hope is that by studying the system’s natural, undisturbed state I can help restore damaged ecosystems to their former functioning state.’

Demmer’s mentor and friend, Professor Reitze Rodseth, said: ‘Stuart has a wonderful way of thinking about the world, different from everyone else. It’s one of the many things that make him a unique scholar.’

Demmer believes that the task of the modern educator was not to cut down jungles, but to irrigate deserts, so when he is not taking pictures of the environment he would probably be doing some gardening.

He attributed his success to his family, teachers, lecturers, mentors and God. His biggest challenge was managing to find time for his academics and his different commitments. 

Demmer advised undergraduate students to become computer literate to improve their workflow and prevent frustration and to read. ‘The library has many textbooks relevant to each subject. But few people ever take them out. Reading is challenging but it can really help improve English and your writing ability – something we all struggle with.’

Demmer is currently doing his Masters in Grassland Science and hopes to one day become a PhD candidate.

Downhill mountain biking world champion and Chairperson of the KwaZulu-Natal Gravity Mountain Biking, Dr Nigel Hicks, graduated with a PhD in Geology, becoming the third Geology PhD graduate in his family.

He now joins the ranks of his brother-in-law, Professor Andrew Green, and sister-in-law, Dr Lauren Hoyer.

Hicks is a chief scientist at the Council for Geoscience (CGS) in Pietermaritzburg, the project manager for work relating to Carbon dioxide Capture and Storage (CCS) in South Africa, and a lead scientist on the Pilot CO2 Storage Project within South Africa.

The field geologist and sedimentologist recently focused on environmental and hydrocarbons based research that tries to unravel the intricacies of sedimentation in recent marine settings.

‘I really enjoy earth processes and the interplay of sedimentary and igneous rocks in basin evolution,’ said Hicks. ‘I am fascinated by early earth sediments and their interactions with early life on the planet.’

His PhD research involved a basin-scale evaluation of the geology and structure of the offshore Durban Basin, in order to identify, categorise and rank potential storage mediums that may have the capacity to store CO2.This relates to the CCS project, a short- to medium-term climate change strategy designed to reduce CO2 emissions from large-scale emitters.

‘South Africa is heavily reliant on fossil fuels for energy, and is a significant contributor to CO2 emissions on a worldwide scale,’ said Hicks, adding that storage of anthropogenic CO2 is a key mitigation technique for global emissions reductions.

‘Successful storage of CO2 has been undertaken internationally in a number of geologic mediums such as depleted oil or gas reservoirs, unmineable coal beds, deep saline-water saturated aquifers, and basaltic formations, in onshore and offshore environments,’ he said.

Hicks hopes that his work will aid further research into clean coal technologies and other means of CO2 sequestration in order to help South Africa reduce emissions, and raise awareness of individual and industrial-scale actions that can be taken towards an emissions-negative future.

Hicks unearthed an interest in geology through a love of mountains that often saw him racing mountain bikes down steep slopes in beautiful landscapes. These varied terrains sparked an interest in Hicks during his school years that led him to the then-University of Natal to study geology to his masters level.

Through his school, undergraduate and masters years, Hicks developed friendships with Green and Hoyer, and married Hoyer’s sister. Green and Hoyer later also tied the knot, creating a familial geology powerhouse.

Dinner table conversations can often turn into discussions on rocks and the trio’s varied geological pursuits. During family holidays, one might find the rest of the family waiting in the car on a roadside while the three geologists clamber up banks to examine an outcrop.

A keen downhill mountain biker, Hicks has competed nationally and internationally, becoming World Champion in his division. He serves as a commissioner at national level for Gravity disciplines.

Hicks thanked the CGS and the South African Centre for Carbon Capture and Storage for funding his research and affording him the opportunity to complete his PhD.

Award-winning filmmaker Dr Preshanthan Moodley obtained his PhD in the field of Science at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).

Moodley, who hails from Richards Bay, in northern KwaZulu-Natal, moved to Johannesburg after completing his matric to study film-making at AFDA, the South African School of Motion Picture where he obtained his Bachelor of Arts Honours degree.

In 2008, whilst completing his degree, Moodley directed his first independent movie which was distributed in South Africa and broadcast on DSTV. He also produced and directed two seasons of a South African celebrity talk show titled Spill the Beans Over Coffee, which featured guests that included Isidingo actors, socialite and businesswoman Sorisha Naidoo, radio personality Darren Maule, actress Jena Dover and many others.

Two years later Moodley produced South Africa’s his first Bollywood-style film titled Yeh Rishta. He also accumulated many accolades, namely the award for Best Student TV Production in 2008 and an Indian Cinema Centenary Award in 2013. For most people this would be the makings of a successful career but not for Moodley.

He always had a passion for both filmmaking and science. After completing his filmmaking degree he decided to pursue his other passion. He chose the field of renewable energy because he believes that it is an arena that requires fast thinking and solutions to prevent catastrophe in the energy and environmental sectors.

Moodley joined UKZN in 2011 where he began his third degree, a Bachelor of Science (BSc) in Microbiology which he completed in the allocated time. He went on to complete his BSc Honours degree and thereafter a masters degree which he not only completed in one year but also passed it cum laude.

Moodley completed a PhD in the record time of two years. He really does live by the adage, ‘Live as if it’s your last day on Earth.’ Moodley always had aspirations of completing a PhD and having completed many degrees (in both science and film), to be awarded his PhD was a dream come true. This enigmatic young man believes that everyone has a purpose. ‘The few of us that are fortunate enough to experience tertiary education should use this as a driving force to inspire those around us,’ he said.

Moodley’s PhD research focused on the microbial conversion of sugarcane leaf waste into bioethanol. It entailed developing novel pre-treatment strategies to enhance the enzymatic saccharification of sugarcane leaf waste and consequently examining the fermentation kinetics of bioethanol production.

The current energy crisis coupled with the detrimental effects of global warming was what motivated Moodley to pursue a PhD in this field, and ‘finding a solution to this that would make an impact on society was a natural choice for me, and this is why renewable energy is the avenue that I decided to pursue,’ said Moodley.

Global warming and depleting fuel reserves is something that affects every single person on this planet. Moodley’s research couples both the agricultural and energy sector, to utilise agricultural residues (sugarcane leaf waste) to produce bioethanol. His research has the potential to alleviate fuel prices and reduce the pollution caused by the burning of the unused sugarcane leaf waste.

Moodley is most proud to have completed his master’s degree cum laude in one year, completed his PhD in two years and six publications in high impact international journals. ‘I realised that science communication is an exciting field that has been recently gaining attention. I found that by combining my expertise from both my film and science, I have been able to produce scientifically sound videos for various purposes. In 2014, I produced an informative video about Ebola during the 2014 outbreak. I have also produced several high quality promotional videos for UKZN’s College of Agriculture, Engineering and Science, providing insight to school learners about the various science disciplines UKZN has to offer.’

An ad-hoc lecturing stint in 2017 helped cement Moodley’s decision of going into academics. ‘I found it to be a liberating and enjoyable experience, and it would be another route where I could “inspire greatness”,’ said Moodley. He intends on commencing his postdoctoral research and thereafter he would like to pursue a career in academics and research. ‘A passion for your chosen field of study is extremely important. If you have this, hard work and dedication would naturally follow,’ said Moodley.

Moodley attributed his success to his PhD supervisor, Professor Gueguim Kana, who played an integral role in shaping him into a scientist. ‘His modern day approach to academics and research has inspired me and the route I would like to follow in life,’ said Moodley.

Kana wished Moodley all the best with his future plans. ‘I worked with Mr Preshanthan Moodley as his lecturer and supervisor at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. By academic performance, he is rated outstandingly among the top 2% of students I have worked with for the last 10 years. He is very hard-working, highly productive, eager to learn, reliable, committed and very respectful.’

Ms Sthabile Mavundla, who graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Environmental and Life Science at the University of KwaZulu-Natal, is well on her way to a career that will combine her love for science with her entrepreneurial spirit and gift for communicating. This could include a presence on the small screen after she impressed judges on the Presenter Search on 3.

Mavundla, who hails from Margate, on the KwaZulu-Natal south coast, attended Margate Primary School where she was the dux recipient, followed by Port Shepstone High School. Mavundla gave credit to her mother for imparting a sense of responsibility when she encouraged her to be an example to her younger siblings. This motivated her to become the under-16 hockey captain, chairperson of various societies and finally deputy head girl.

‘These and many other roles helped refine and improve my communication skills and deepened my love for people and for public speaking,’ she said.

She thanked her mother for putting her and her siblings first, supporting and believing in them and encouraging them to follow their dreams.

Mavundla, who is one of four children, lost her father when she was only two. During her childhood, she dreamt of being a television presenter, but her mother suggested she looked at additional options. A teacher at her high school inspired in her a love for Geography, which led Mavundla towards a Science degree.

‘Being in university can be really tough, but knowing my mom could drive up to me whenever I needed her was extremely comforting,’ said Mavundla.

As a child, she dreamt of having her own guitar but her family did not have the resources for this. At the age of 15 in her Life Orientation class, Mavundla discovered she met the legal requirements for employment.  She begged her mother to drive her to the local Mugg & Bean where she presented herself to management in her decorated school blazer with her Life Orientation textbook in hand. She was hired for holiday work as a hostess, customers’ first and last point of call, and earned enough for a guitar.

‘The one thing that helped refine and build me into the person I am today is responsibility,’ she said.

In 2016, Mavundla started to grow out her natural hair after researching natural hair care. When friends and strangers complimented her on her locks, Mavundla noticed a lack of natural hair salons and started her own, called ‘Jamelia Afros Deluxe’, at her residence. Using organic products and treatments, Mavundla had happy clients, her own business and learnt to balance school and work.

‘It was a lot of work but my success was fully dependent on the amount of effort and time I put in. The rewards were endless,’ she said.

Mavundla is also keen on deep-sea fishing, and goes go-karting and bowling to relax. Thanks to her penchant for public speaking, she also hopes to join Toastmasters.

Earlier this year, Mavundla entered the Presenter Search on 3, hoping to present on Top Billing as she loves travelling, meeting people, fashion and adventure.

Judges commended her on her energy and style, and were taken aback when they discovered she is a science student. The show will air from 10 May on SABC 3.

Mavundla is interested in pursuing a career in television. She said it was a natural fit for her as a scientist since science requires curiosity, and television presenting often involves interviewing people and investigating matters with genuine interest.

After completing her Honours in Biological Science at UKZN, Mavundla hopes to have time to explore business, ideally by starting her own retail company, while also pursuing a television career.