April 2020

Congratulations to our staff, including a number of new doctors, who would have been celebrating at Autumn Graduation last week. We are proud of you and hope you were able to mark this milestone in spite of the present lockdown due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

You have studied long and hard after hours to improve yourselves and plough back new knowledge into your students and the university.

Staff doctors include from left, Justin August, Ulricha de Klerk, Johan Cronje, Nyaradzo Dhliwayo, Tinus Sonnekus, Carlien Jooste, Tony Matchabe-Hove and Willem Pentz.

Staff who graduated include:

DBA Carlien Jooste
DCom Business Management Tony Matchabe-Hove
PhD Botany Tinus Sonnekus
PhD Engineering (Mechanical) Willem Pentz
PhD, Environmental Geography Nyaradzo Dhliwayo
PhD Psychology Justin August, Johan Cronje and Ulricha de Klerk
MA Development Studies Nonkululeko Ntsenyana
MA (Human Movement Science) Desmarie Rosenblatt
MCom Business Management Sumaiya Sidat (cum laude)
MEd Education Pretty Neliswa Magangxa
BAHons Applied Languages Noxolo Mngonyama
BAHons Labour relations and human resources Candice Demi Campbell
Postgraduate Diploma in Business Administration Lucia Mtshake
Postgraduate Diploma Labour Law Practice Inga Mbewana (cum laude)
BTech Public Relations Management Cleo Fleur
Advanced Diploma Management Practice Khanyisile Hlungwane
Dip Analytical Chemistry Bukelwa Mletshe
Dip Human Resources Management Princess Feni

Other universities

MBA Regent Business School, Charlene Cupido

Prof Janine Adams appointed as SARCHi Chair in Shallow Water Ecosystems

Estuaries, their functioning, conservation and management is the specialist research field of Prof Janine Adams, who has been appointed by the National Research Foundation (NRF) as the SARCHi Chair in Shallow Water Ecosystems at Nelson Mandela University until 2023.

Prof Adams has been the Interim Chair, following Prof Renzo Perissinotto from 2018.

Prof Adams’ current research focus areas are blue carbon ecosystems and response to climate change, mangrove and salt marsh ecology, and water quality management of estuaries.

Prof Adams plays an important role in ensuring that science and knowledge of aquatic environments is communicated to managers and policymakers.

Read full article here: Prof Janine Adams

Internationally acclaimed Mandela University researcher has passed away

The University is mourning the loss of Professor Maarten de Wit, an A1-rated National Research Foundation (NRF) scientist and holder of the Chair of Earth Stewardship Science, who died yesterday.

Recognised nationally and internationally for his ground-breaking research projects, Prof de Wit impacted on hundreds of students from around the globe through his work.

Prof de Wit joined the University in August 2011 from the University of Cape Town (UCT) and has since built a transdisciplinary research and postgraduate students programme through the African Earth Observation Network and the associated Earth Stewardship Science Research Institute (AEON-ESSRI) of which he was Founding Director.

He built a very strong earth observation network, which served as a driver of the Global Change Grand Challenge National Research Plan.

Read full article here: Prof Maarten de Wit

Nelson Mandela Bay team develops low-cost automated bag mask ventilator

Left to right) Mandela Uni students Kelvin Langwani, Neo Mabunda, Zain Imran and Zaahid Imran with the ventilator.

Seeing the need for devices to assist people suffering from Covid-19 and other diseases, a multi-disciplinary team of innovative young engineers based at the Propella Business Incubator in Port Elizabeth have dropped all their other projects to develop a low-cost bag mask ventilator.

The device fills the urgent need for a low-cost non-invasive ventilator for less serious cases, and frees the expensive units used in intensive care units for those in need of advanced care.

“I was impressed by the simplicity, yet effectivity of the design,” says Port Elizabeth anaesthetist specialist Dr Hennie Smit.

“It is meant to assist respiration and not full ventilation, and therefore only needs a tight-fitting face mask, and is suitable for use in general wards where it can be monitored by non-specialist nurses,” he said after evaluating the working prototype.

Propella incubator members and Nelson Mandela University engineering students Zain Imran and Neo Mabunda teamed up with Zain’s brother Zaahid and Kelvin Langwani to develop a working prototype within five days.

Read full articles here: Nelson Mandela Bay team

Mandela alumnus, Stuart Forrest, the Owner & CEO of Triggerfish has grabbed another International Emmy Award for the short dragon movie "Zog".
Forrest received an Alumni Achiever Award in 2018.