Women Scientists From South Africa

"I moved into teaching – rather than set out to teach, or work in education. When I began my working career as a secondary mathematics teacher, I had no intention of becoming an academic and researcher in education. My first post was in a so-called ‘coloured’ school in Cape Town, a school with a strong political identity tied to the Unity Movement."

"Psychology was my second major – this also wasn’t in my original plan – I had thought I would do Applied Maths, but I enjoyed Psychology in first year and so continued, and then enjoyed work on child development, learning and so on."

"I gave “extra mathematics lessons” while I was doing my degree and enjoyed this (as well as earning quite well from it) and so went on from a B Sc to do my professional teaching diploma."

"I always loved mathematics, and was inspired by particular teachers in both primary and secondary schools, and so I went to University to study mathematics."

"I am involved in collaborative research projects with Yale University, Edinburgh University and the University of Liverpool among others which variously work on fire-grazer interactions, inter-continental savanna comparisons, the importance of land-atmosphere feedbacks, and pursuing a global theory of fire."

"I work on understanding the dynamics of savanna ecosystems in the context of global change. My work integrates field ecological data, remote sensing, modelling, and biogeochemistry."

"Young people still care about the problems of the world and are willing to solve them, and they know that having fun is part of life"

"In other words, a scientist needs vision."

"Being creative is a huge part of being a good scientist. You need to find new ways to look at old problems and you must be able to design experiments that reveal new information"

"My research helps create the landscapes and environments that support us"

"Trust the process, and if you don’t like it or it’s not working for you, change it. Be the change instead of waiting for change."

"We all love a good fictional superhero, but real scientists, real people, have just as amazing powers!"

"Just take that first leap of faith and trust the process! All whilst working hard and intentionally at achieving the goal."

"Imposter syndrome. My insecurities regarding not being good enough at times lead to self-sabotage."

"I am fortunate to be able to work within this fossil-rich reserve. It’s been fun to share my excitement with the women who will become South Africa’s ambassadors, taking part of the story of human origins with them and raising critical interest in our globally shared heritage."

"We were really put in very extreme situations, crawling through very tight tunnels, i've had my butt stuck, I've had my head stuck and it's a challenge not to panic -- but also, you learn a lot about yourself and inner strength in those conditions."

"Be true to yourself. The dreams that you had as a child were real and pure. With sheer determination, those dreams can come true."

"For as long as there's people around asking questions, exploration isn't dead. Once we accept that, new and exciting things will come to light that will add to the story of our deep human journey."

"Joan Morice, a member of the class of 1927, broke the tradition of male student domination at the Onderstepoort Veterinary Faculty."

"Make it count, because how we use these opportunities now will shape what’s possible for generations of women after us."

"Follow your passion, but understand that passions shift over time, and that’s okay. Balance motherhood and ambition, reflect often, and always be building towards a purposeful legacy."

"Nobody gives you opportunities; they present themselves to you. And it's up to you to see them and to seize them, no matter what other people may say – you can achieve what you believe"

"This is very important for capacity building, research training of postgraduate students and for developing teaching capacity in teaching current hot topics in science."

"Preliminary work includes the development of polymer electrodes for sulphonamide detection, with very sensitive and reproducible analytical reporting in laboratory standard solutions as well as municipal tap."

"The common factor between all these projects is the interest in novel high surface area electrochemically active nanomaterials which could benefit the focus of either sensors or energy applications."

"Electroanalysis and electrocatalysis are electrochemically driven analytical protocols for measurement and monitoring of a wide range of environmental pollutants, depending on the chemical transformations that give rise to the pollution effect."

"Each environmental problem requires careful analysis of the chemical nature of the problem before the best suited methods for analysis and monitoring may be developed."

"My dream is to produce a commercially viable water nanofilter that removes contaminants in one filtration cycle, enabling rural African families to install affordable water filters in their homes. It is to have a continent where everyone can access safe and clean drinking water."

"We need these technologies, not just for industrial use, but also for domestic use, for everyday use. So that individual households can mount them in their homes."

"We drew water from a river about two miles [about 3km] away. The river where kids went to swim and women laundered their dirty clothes, was the same river we drew water from to fill our calabashes and plastic jerrycans."

"I want us [Africans] to have access to safe drinking water, just as is the case in developed countries such as USA and in Europe."

"I am particularly interested in water research because water is simply vital. Nanotechnology has an essential role to play in purification techniques. Our current methods can filter water to levels that are safe for domestic use, or by up to 80%, but we want to refine them to filter [out] about 100% of water contaminants in one filtration cycle."

"Well, I climbed the academic ladder from tutorial fellow to full professor. In the university there are four to five key performance areas: teaching undergraduate and supervising postgraduate students; research, development and innovation; community outreach; international networks and management or leadership. I have had significant outputs in the five areas."

"I hope we can achieve gender equality where women and girls are empowered to ensure inclusive and quality education for all."

"I believe that African women have the capability to excel in the sciences and make Africa advance a lot in socio economic development."

"Our students need to feel accepted and valued, we need to make sure that we work with them and not decide for them what this might mean in practice. Part of this work on belonging and inclusion is knowing who our students are. I need to know where they come from, their concerns, what inspires them, and their ambitions; therefore, I must create and align resources."

"We learn a lot through interaction in real time and in a real shared physical space. Of course, we have attentive support for transition to campus learning and counselling for any student facing difficulty balancing campus presence, online learning and interaction."

"I passionately believe we can take such students through an immersive university experience which they enjoy and through which they succeed. It is a complex journey for our students, and I appreciate that the scaffolding needs to be in place throughout their journey. Perhaps even before and post-graduation."

"I am motivated by a vision of equity in society, a belief that opportunity in education can help transform society into a more equal community."

"Education has the power both to include and exclude, and the effects it has are down to the Higher Education (HE) professionals working in institutions and taking responsibility for what the student experience looks like."

"Writing is dominant in schools and continues to be important for effective communication. Therefore, learners need to be up- skilled in writing skills as their everyday activities."

"The mixed method design was adopted for this study which triangulated focus group semi structured interview, documentary analysis and lesson observation."

"I also want to encourage more young women to pursue careers in STEM. The opportunities are boundless – embrace them, and together, we can change the world."

"This achievement reaffirms that my dedication to addressing the urgent cancer challenges in the African region is both recognised and valued."

"I hope that my work and determination inspire young scientists to persevere in their efforts until we find lasting solutions to address cancer in Africa."

"These chemical transformations include highly specific binding reactions, electrolysis, energy efficient catalytic conversion of chemical reactants, adsorption reactions, diffusion controlled reactions and coupled chemical reactions **"

"The Fellow in residence programme has allowed me to integrate as an active team member with the LPPI researchers, to develop joint interests in a diverse range of projects centred around sensor development and energy applications. The common factor between all these projects is the interest in novel high surface area electrochemically active nanomaterials which could benefit the focus of either sensors or energy applications. During the 4 month FIR stay, the initial contact with LPPI has been expanded to a fully representative consortium working on mutually beneficial materials and technology outcomes. This is very important for capacity building, research training of postgraduate students and for developing teaching capacity in teaching current hot topics in science. The consortium partnership established between SensorLab (University of the Western Cape ) and the LPPI laboratory (CY Cergy Paris) is a unique innovation in science knowledge sharing and capacity building between South Africa and France."

"Surround yourself with leaders who embody excellence, kindness and fairness. We must create spaces where all can thrive"

"Women often remain primary caregivers, facing career interruptions due to maternity leave and family demands - factors rarely accounted for in promotions"

"Collaborative research sharpens our skills and pushes us to think beyond our comfort zones"