The Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences’ Teaching Excellence Awards ceremony shone a spotlight on the faculty’s commitment to outstanding education and honoured exceptional staff members.

The event, which was recently held at the Cape Town Hotel School, showcased the best teaching and learning practices in the faculty, under the theme: In Harmony: Honouring the heart and science of teaching excellence.

Assistant Dean, Dr Lloyd Christopher, said the event was not just about recognising the recipients but everyone who contributed to their success, “whether faculty office, whether it be the heads of departments, and all the other technical administrative staff that make a really very difficult job possible and so we acknowledge all of that”.

The winners were:

• Clinical Instructor recognition award: Elroy Cameron (Emergency Medical Sciences)
• Senior Lab Technician: Fadia Alexander (Biomedical Sciences)
• Lab Technician: Abdulraoef Ganey (Ophthalmic Sciences)
• Faculty Office Award: Karin Buckle (Faculty Manager)
• Faculty Teaching Excellence Award: John Meyer (Emergency Medical Sciences)

In her closing remarks, Faculty Teaching and Learning coordinator, Anthea Pinto-Prins, said the theme of the awards, “invites us to reflect not only on what we teach, but how and why we teach”.

“Together, you create conditions in which students grow cognitively, professionally, and personally. In this way, the heart of teaching, our care, empathy, and responsiveness are inseparable from the science of teaching, our pedagogical frameworks, disciplinary knowledge, and intentional design. Harmony is not a soft ideal. It is a rigorous, ethical balancing act that ensures no student is left behind and no knowledge is left inaccessible.”

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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Videos, peer education and online platforms are just some of the innovative tools the excellent teachers recently honoured by the Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences use in their classrooms.

A number of outstanding teachers were honoured during the Faculty’s annual Teaching Excellence Awards.

Five departmental winners were recognised while Ryan Matthews from the Department of Emergency Medical Sciences (EMS) scooped the overall Faculty Teaching Excellence Award.

The five departmental winners are: Dr Lisa Graham, (Biomedical Sciences) Dr Kathleen Grant (Biomedical Sciences), Nkosikho Sogwagwa (Biomedical Sciences), Llizane McDonald (EMS) and Valdiela Daries (Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Sciences).

This year the Faculty also introduced a number of new categories.

The winners in these categories are:

• Outstanding Workplace Learning Engagement Initiative: John Meyer (EMS)
• Service Learning – Saaiga Ismail (MITS)
• Language initiatives – Dr Lisa Graham (Biomedical Sciences).
• Outstanding Research Awardees: Prof Peter Clarke-Farr (Ophthalmic Sciences), Dr Hilda Vember (Nursing) and Dr Glenda Davison (Biomedical Sciences)
• Outstanding Teaching with Technology initiative: Dr Lisa Graham (Biomedical Sciences).
• Outstanding First-Year experience and Orientation Initiative: Wendy Solomon Biomedical Sciences)
• Outstanding Curriculum Development: Marlene Bezuidenhout (Dental Sciences)

Acting Dean of the Faculty, Prof Penelope Engel-Hills, said celebrating success in the workplace was important and thanked the winners for going the extra mile.

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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Outstanding teachers who go beyond the call of duty were honoured during the Teaching Excellence Awards at Marriott Hotel Crystal Towers.

The event was hosted by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor, Learning and Teaching, Prof Rishi Balkaran and Fundani Director, Prof Monwabisi Ralarala. The awards, which recognise excellence and the outstanding contribution of teachers in enhancing the quality of teaching, was also attended by University of Cape Town Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching professional staff development lecturer, Dr Kasturi Behari-Leak.

The portfolios were evaluated using criteria of ten criterions: contextual understanding, teaching philosophy statement, subject guide and content organisation, designing learning experiences, teaching materials/media, creating and maintaining effective environments, assessment practice, student feedback and reflection. 

Behari-Leak, who was a keynote speaker, congratulated all the winners for their achievements following their dedication to excellent teaching and learning. She said: “I send my huge congratulations to all the winners, teachers that go the extra mile. This signals their work of excellence in teaching. And it’s important for people to realise that teaching is not a craft; it’s not that everyone [whom is educated] can do it. I am pleased with CPUT.”

One of the winners, Department of Biomedical Sciences Nkosikho Sogwagwa was extremely honoured to be “receiving such an important award”. Sogwagwa said: “I am earnestly grateful for the recognition I have received for my work because I am very sure that every other nominee for this award was as capable if not more, of winning this award.

“Winning this award would not have been possible without the inspiration I have received from my seniors and my colleagues for whom I have the deepest respect and from whom I have derived the strength to challenge myself and improve my teaching practices.” The awards were divided into three categories, Departmental, Faculty and Institutional awards.  

Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment lecturer, Dr Bronwyn Swartz was the biggest winner as she scooped two awards: faculty and institutional honours. Swartz said: “I think I can speak for all of us, CPUT teachers, when I say that teaching is not a nine to five job, so it touches on every aspect of one’s life. This is true for me too…I am a teacher, it’s my purpose.

To watch short videos of all the lecturers who won last night go to: https://drive.google.com/open?id=1Rt0847iWqZi66ktlHVQ88p3mcPLW-sUu

Written by Aphiwe Boyce
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The teaching excellence of a lecturer who strives to get more matric learners from disadvantaged backgrounds into university was acknowledged during a recent awards ceremony.

The Emergency Medical Sciences (EMS) Department’s Dr Kareemah Gamieldien recently won the Faculty Award during the Health and Wellness Sciences Faculty’s annual Teaching Excellence Awards.

Gamieldien, with the help of her department, initiated a community project at her alma mater, Wynberg High School, in a bid to boost matric Life Sciences results through a revision programme. 

“This is a project that is very dear to my heart. The reality is that students who come from socio-economic disadvantaged backgrounds automatically are disadvantaged in the education system. I asked myself one day ‘What can EMS Basic Sciences do to help these matriculants qualify to even apply for medical or science programmes’,” said Gamaldien.

She approached the school and offered the support of EMS Basic Sciences to their Life sciences matric students in preparation for their final exams. Ten second-year physiology students came along as tutors.

“After three sessions the results were unexpectedly exceptional,” said Gamieldien who added that they were now waiting for the matric pupils’ final results to assess the impact of the project.

She acknowledged the Marketing and Communication Department and the Centre for Community Engagement and Work Integrated Learning for their support.

Two Departmental Awards were also announced and both winners are from the Department of Medical Imaging and Therapeutic Sciences. They are Diagnostic Ultrasound lecturer Merlisa Kemp and clinical instructor Heidi Thomas.

“What I tell students is that sometimes your circumstances mould you but you shouldn’t let your circumstances define who you are,” said Kemp.

Thomas said the focus of her teaching was on active participation where everyone is involved in the learning process, peer engagement and literature.

Prof Penelope Engel-Hills, Dean of the Faculty of Health and Wellness Sciences, said it has been a great year for the faculty: “I thank each and every one of you because our students come out of here ready to go into healthcare practice because they have such competent teachers and practitioners.”

Written by Ilse Fredericks
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The remarkable teaching skills of about 28 faculty academics were acknowledged during the recent CPUT Teaching Excellence Awards held at the Granger Bay campus. 

Among the recipients, were Dr Candice Livingston (Education), Dr Trust Matsilele, Alexandra Noble, Amanda Morris,  Dr Sisanda Nkoala, Dr Belinda Verster (Informatics and Design) Dr Oluwaseun Oyekola, Leigh Middleton, Kevin Musungu, Dr Sweta Patnaik (Engineering & the Built Environment), Dr Shirley Le Roux, Johan Van Rooyen, Dr Frans Radloff, Bonita Kleyn-Magolie,  Dr Hanle Theron, Dr Vusi Mshayisa, (Applied Science), Prinesh Bikhani  Raygaanah Barday, Nadia Davids, Frances De Klerk, Dr Ali Almaktoof, Dr Christiaan Hattingh-Niekerk (Business and Management Sciences), Michael Paulse, Dr Yvonne Prince, Roxanne Maritz, Anelisa Motaung, Dr Kathleen Naidoo, Nkosikho Sogwagwa (Health and Wellness Sciences).

In his opening speech, Prof Rishi Balkaran, Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Teaching and Learning, congratulated the winners. Balkaran said the recipients worked beyond the ordinary to ensure the students learn.

Two awardees were each given the chance to do a short speech. Dr Oluwaseun Oyekola mentioned that as lecturers, they had experienced the #feesmustfall and #Rhodesmustfall protests leading to shutdowns in 2015-2016, and beyond those, there were multiple internal student unrests at CPUT.  Oyekola said all these have presented lecturers with difficulties alongside opportunities for innovation in teaching and learning. “I have been privileged to ride the wave rather than struggle against it,” Oyekola continued.

“While CPUT celebrates our commitment to teaching excellence, I’d like to appreciate those who have been committed to me, making this a reality. I can stand before you today because I stand on the shoulders of giants called my colleagues. My wife has been relentlessly a shoulder to lean on, and God’s hands have upheld me. I am a teacher because of the students. I'd also like to acknowledge the continued support I’ve received from Fundani.

“Behind the scenes of the blessing of this teaching excellence award are bruises, blows and breakdowns. Yet we rise! CPUT, thanks for the opportunities you’ve afforded me. Thank you for giving me such an honour and this special award.”

Dr Candice Livingston said: “I would like to take this opportunity to thank the DVC for Teaching and Learning, the assessment committee and Fundani for this award. But most of all, I owe this to the students. I am a teacher. I teach teachers how to teach. I particularly love English teaching…”

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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Dr Sweta Patnaik, lecturer in the Department of Clothing and Textile Technology, received institutional recognition for her teaching style and dedication after winning the Institutional Award at the distinguished Institutional Teaching Excellence Awards (TEA) 2023 ceremony held at the Cape Town Hotel School.

The awards recognise learning and teaching support programmes and services that make an outstanding contribution to the quality of student learning and the student experience. They also recognise and reward individuals who make a significant contribution to student learning in a specific area of responsibility and who are acknowledged for their achievements within a faculty or the wider university community.

Among the recipients, were Prof Sjirk Geerts, Rache Hanekom, Dr Anthony Obilana, Dr Courtney Puckree-Padua, Faraaz Omar, Nizaam Peck, Dr Naseema Shaik, Dr Senthil Krishnamurthy, Prof Asis Patnaik, Dr Mohammed Pourbehi, Mukove Ratshitanga, Dr Vipin Balyan, Carike Abrahamse, Judy Sheahan, Rizqa Sibrietz-Williams, Johan van Rooyen, Dr Liiza Gie, Dr Janice Hemmonsbey-Lodewyk, Prof Pieter Boer, Dr Ali- Mustafa Almaktoof, Dr Bruce Snaddon, Dr Blessing Makwambeni and Alexandra Noble

The biggest winner of the night, Patnaik, said: “I felt happy, recognised, praised and motivated… Hard work pays off.”

She continued: “I still am over the moon since the awards ceremony, I will continue to feel so as it will motivate me to keep doing my best. I will have more engaging sessions with my students, do more research work and collaborate more with colleagues within and outside CPUT.” 

Patnaik attributed her academic achievement to a combination of skills, “organisation, time management, prioritisation, concentration, flexible and open mindset to change and motivation to achieve academic success”. She said to reach her milestones, one needs to, “cultivate learning agility. Be comfortable with embracing significant and ongoing change. Learn to deal with failure. Have a strong philosophical foundation.”

“Awards for me are not only recognitions but also validating the work I am doing, the path I am on and a motivating factor to keep excelling out of my comfort zone. They are a great way of gaining recognition and respect among my peers.”

Patnaik holds a MBA in Fashion Management as well as PhD in Textile Science. So far, joining CPUT has been the biggest highlight of her career as through the institution “I earned all these accolades”. She is also a NRFY2 rated researcher and other than that Patnaik is a recipient of NRF Innovation Doctoral Scholarship (2015), Nelson Mandela University Alumni Rising Star of the Year Award, 2020, first recipient at CPUT for the DAAD UNILEAD scholarship 2021; winner (3rd position) of the eLearning excellence award held in the United Kingdom in 2022 at the 20th European Conference of eLearning.

During the ceremony, which was hosted by Fundani CHED, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Technology, Innovation and Partnerships, Dr David Phaho welcomed the guests, and said: “This is a great privilege for us to be here again recognising excellence.”

In his opening address, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning, Prof Rishidaw Balkaran said: “This whole event is a symbol of quality in various aspects.”  Cape Higher Education Consortium Executive Officer, Prof Eugene Cloete, delivered a keynote address. Director at the Fundani CHED, Dr Xena Cupido delivered the closing remarks.

Written by Aphiwe Boyce

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