ACADEMIC excellence took centre stage when Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University’s top brains were honoured at the Academic Awards Dinner on Wednesday night.
26 undergraduate and postgraduate students from across the new generation university’s seven faculties were recognised for their achievements, but also encouraged to look to the needs of the world.
“What contribution will you make to broader society, shaping ideas towards a better life for all?” NMMU Acting Vice-Chancellor Dr Sibongile Muthwa asked the recipients in her welcoming address at the Feather Market Centre.
She added that the recipients needed more than their academic achievements.
“What counts in life is not the mere fact that we have lived. It is what difference we have made to the lives of others that will determine the significance of the life we lead,” said Dr Muthwa, quoting the university’s namesake Nelson Mandela.
Among those who have already responded to that call is Science masters graduate Atherton Mutombwere. He’s been offered a scholarship to complete an MBA at Oxford University with the intension of returning to Africa “to plant industries that make a difference”.
The Zimbabwean student used his nanoscience expertise to explore aspects of the ebola virus.
Another recipient committed to ploughing back is Tarryn Lovemore, a Vice-Chancellor’s Scholar having obtained 7 As in matric, who completed her BEd Intermediate Phase teaching degree cum laude and is presently teaching where she grew up in Nanaga in the Eastern Cape.
Tarryn, the top graduate in the Faculty of Education, is also one of four recipients of the University’s top award – the Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Academic Excellence. The Collegiate matriculant was the best first degree graduate.
Two other Collegiate matriculants, Nicole Lake and Emma Plumstead, also won the award for being the best diplomate (Biomedical Technology) and best postgraduate student in the field of Science, Engineering and Technology (BSc Honours: Mathematical Statistics) respectively.
The fourth recipient is Dorothea Buckle as the best postgraduate student in the social sciences who combined her passions of media and the environment to produce an “outstanding” transdisciplinary arts and science masters dissertation. Dorothea attended DF Malherbe and is presently working in Cape Town.
Academic Awards – full list of achievements 2016
First Year Undergraduate Awards:
First Year Undergraduate Diploma Award
Mr Sandile Naledi Ngwenya
National Diploma: Information Technology: Communication Networks
Faculty of EBEIT
Percentage: 88
First Year Undergraduate Degree Award
Mr Ruan Olivier
Bachelor of Science: Computer Science
Faculty of Science
Percentage: 91.61
First Diploma Awards
Mr Christopher Smith
National Diploma: Graphic Design
Faculty of Arts
Percentage: 86
Miss Roxanne Lemley
National Diploma: Logistics Management
Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences
Percentage: 84.50
Miss Robyn Thomas
National Diploma: Information Technology: Software Development
Faculty of EBEIT
Percentage: 88
Miss Nicole Lake
National Diploma: Biomedical Technology
Faculty of Health Sciences
Percentage: 91
Mr Sibonokhule Nontongana
National Diploma: Agricultural Management
Faculty of Science
Percentage: 79
First Degree Awards
Miss Astrid Small
Bachelor of Arts: Performing Arts
Faculty of Arts
Percentage: 82
Miss Bianca Viljoen
Bachelor of Commerce: Law
Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences
Percentage: 87.09
Miss Tarryn Lovemore
Bachelor of Education: Intermediate Phase
Faculty of Education
Percentage: 91.70
Mr Timothy Starbuck
Bachelor of Engineering in Mechatronics
Faculty of EBEIT
Percentage: 77
Miss Roxanne Gerber
Bachelor of Pharmacy
Faculty of Health Sciences
Percentage: 86
Miss Tayla Dye
Bachelor of Laws
Faculty of Law
Percentage: 88.75
Mr Francois Hendrik du Plessis
Bachelor of Science: Computer Science
Faculty of Science
Percentage: 90.65
B Tech Awards
NMMU Council Award for the Best Bachelor of Technology graduate: Social Sciences and Humanities
Miss Lee Anne Morrison
Bachelor of Technology: Public Relations Management
Faculty of Arts
Percentage: 91
NMMU Council Award for the Best Bachelor of Technology graduate: Science, Engineering and Technology
Mr Sean Skinner
Bachelor of Technology: Information Technology: Software Development
Faculty of EBEIT
Percentage: 86
NMMU Award for the Best Bachelor of Technology graduate: Science, Engineering and Technology
Sponsored by the Rupert Family Trust
Miss Deverdene Finnis
Bachelor of Technology: Biomedical Technology
Faculty of Health Sciences
Percentage: 85
NMMU Award for the Best Bachelor of Technology graduate: Science, Engineering and Technology
Sponsored by the Rupert Family Trust
Miss Noxolo Nokwethemba Ndlovu
Bachelor of Technology: Forestry
Faculty of Science
Percentage: 85
HOD: Prof Jos Louw
Honours Degree Awards
NMMU Council Award for the best Honours graduate: Social Sciences and Humanities
Miss Tamlin Futter
Bachelor of Arts Honours: Psychology
Faculty of Heath Sciences
Percentage: 83
NMMU Awards for the best Honours graduate: Science, Engineering and Technology
Sponsored by the Rupert Family Trust
Miss Emma Grace Plumstead
Bachelor of Science Honours: Mathematical Statistics
Faculty of Science
Percentage: 90
Master’s Degree Awards
NMMU Award for the best Master’s Degree by Coursework: Social Sciences and Humanities
Sponsored by the Rupert Family Trust
Adv Bruce Vervliet
Master of Business Administration
(A model for green product purchasing behaviour)
Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences
Percentage: 82.25
Supervisor: Prof Margie Cullen
Co-supervisor: Prof Andre Calitz
NMMU Award for the best Master’s Degree by Coursework: Science, Engineering and Technology
Sponsored by the Rupert Family Trust
Mr Atherton Mutombwera
Master of Science in Nanoscience
(Development of aptamers against epitopes of the ebola virus nucleoprotein for future applications in diagnostics)
Faculty of Science
Percentage: 74.22
Supervisor: Prof S Roux
Co-supervisor: Prof M Meyer
NMMU Council Award for the best Master’s Degree by Dissertation: Social Sciences and Humanities
Miss Dorothea Buckle
Master of Arts in Media Studies
(Media and communication influences on farmer’s views of water conservation in the Garden Route, South Africa)
Faculty of Arts
Percentage: 86
Supervisor: Prof C Fabricius
Co-supervisor: Dr J Wozniak
NMMU Award for the best Master’s Degree by Dissertation: Science, Engineering and Technology
Sponsored by the Albert Wessels Trust
Mr Alexander MacFarlane
Master of Engineering in Mechatronics
(Modular electric automatic guided vehicle suspension-drive unit)
Faculty of EBEIT
Percentage: 90
Supervisor: Prof U Becker
Co-supervisor: Prof T van Niekerk
NMMU Award for the best Master’s Degree in Technology by Dissertation: Social Sciences and Humanities
Sponsored by the Ford Motor Company of Southern Africa
Mr Regan Pieterse
Master of Technology: Human Resources
(Skilled professional self-initiated expatriates into Qatar organisations)
Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences
Percentage: 86
Supervisor: Dr A Werner
Co-supervisor: Prof M Mey
NMMU Council Award for the best Master’s Degree in Technology by Dissertation: Science, Engineering and Technology
Mr Charl Swanepoel
Master of Technology in Engineering: Civil
(Using vehicle activated signs as an integrated measure to improve road safety in South Africa)
Faculty of Engineering, the Built Environment and Information Technology
Percentage: 78
Supervisor: Mr A Nagel
Co-supervisor: Mr G Pryce-Lewis
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