The Applied Microbial and Health Biotechnology Institute’s (AMHBI) Dr Thandekile Mthethwa has been awarded a Y2 -rating by the National Research Foundation (NRF).

NRF ratings are allocated based on a researcher’s recent research outputs and impact, as international peer reviewers perceive. A Y-rating is awarded to promising young researchers.

“I am very pleased and grateful for the recognition; it is humbling when you realise your efforts are seen. It is merely the beginning. This recognition encourages me to continue to do my best work. I continually strive to improve my research and to provide mentorship to the next generation of young researchers.”

Mthethwa joined AMHBI as a researcher in 2015, and her research interests are in nanomaterials and photochemistry.

“My work is focused on the design of high-quality novel nanostructures, their interaction with light and their assembly into functional nanomaterials for applications such as wastewater treatment, as well as the development of fundamental understanding of structure-property relationships.”

The researcher, who grew up in Empangeni and Melmoth in KwaZulu-Natal, completed her undergraduate studies at the University of Zululand and her PhD at Rhodes University.

“My greatest research achievement has been my PhD. This is one of the most significant events of my professional career. My research has given me the necessary tools to contribute significantly to the scientific community.”

She said she appreciated the platform that CPUT provided her to establish her research niche within AMHBI, “and I am grateful to everyone who continues to help me in my professional growth”.

AMHBI Director, Prof Jeanine Marnewick, congratulated Mthethwa.

"Since joining the CPUT and AMHBI, Dr Mthethwa has produced a coherent body of work seeking to establish herself as a young researcher. Her recent NRF Y2 rating is in recognition of her hard work. I am extremely proud of Thandekile. She is one of our future science leaders, and I will continue supporting her in her scientific endeavours at AMHBI.”

Written by Ilse Fredericks

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Vuyokazi Dwane, the newly appointed senior director in the human capital department, is ready to build the human and organisational capacity that will make CPUT fit in the future and position its people to deliver effectively and efficiently on the strategic imperatives of Vision 2030.   

Following a meticulous appointment process, Dwane assumed her duties at the beginning of this month. “My big hairy audacious goal is to make CPUT "A Great Place to Work”. I will, therefore, be asking lots of questions about what this means for us – both internally and across the sector – and putting in place the necessary initiatives and teams to make this a reality. Personally and professionally, I plan to learn and grow into the Vuyokazi who can contribute best to the workplace, the sector, individuals and teams I encounter.”

Dwane was born in Herschel, Sterkspruit, in the Eastern Cape, but because of her father’s vocation as a church minister, theologian and academic, she did not live there for long. The family subsequently lived in numerous parts of the Eastern Cape, Kwazulu-Natal and Cape Town, where she studied and started her professional career.

The bubbly mother of two children who have, in large part, “influenced the contribution that I seek to make in the lives of people”, is a People practitioner and certified Integral Coach, having started her career as a Change Management Consultant and spent the first 12 years in a variety of project consulting environments. During this time, Dwane worked for global consultancies Accenture, Deloitte and, “most exciting”, the African in Space programme. She also worked on ERP system implementations and upgrades at Nampak and Standard Bank before embarking on the second half of her career as a Human Resources Leader.

“In this role, I served both public and private institutions, global and local, in legal information, financial and education finance industries.”

Reflecting on her career journey, Dwane says: “It’s been a combination of a work ethic, a spirit of gratitude and relationships with family, friends, colleagues and mentors. All of this has been based on the foundation of a faith life. My growth path – in both human and professional terms – has not been without challenge yet each time I have progressed or overcome, I have worked hard and shown up, taken nothing for granted, relied on and worked with key people and maintained a discipline of the expression of my faith.”

She adds: “I am excited [about the appointment] and motivated! Immediately before this appointment, I was doing some consulting work, which, thanks to COVID-19, enabled me the flexibility to move closer to my children (Thantasiwe, 16 and Akpelo, 9) at their Eastern Cape boarding school and spend much-needed quality time with them.”

Her parents attached a premium value to education and excellence. They were passionate about community and significantly contributed to building the church and the communities in which they lived. “I was raised in a loving, trusting, nurturing family environment, which influenced my desire to show people they are valued and cared for. I am driven by my need to show compassion and empathy, which are relevant and valuable in the workplace but are not always appropriately regarded due to how professionalism is perceived.”

In her message for the younger generation, Dwane says: “There are two key messages. The first is to understand your gifts, talents, and contributions only you can make. The second is that relationships are everything: take time to build and nurture them.”  Despite a successful career, Dwane says there have been plenty of challenges. “I prefer to focus on the lessons and the grit these challenges have imparted. I am particularly grateful for the perspective and insights that such challenges reveal – it becomes easier to appreciate and empathise with others’ circumstances when you have weathered similar trials.”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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