Ms Mayuri Chinniah with (left to right) Mr Yadhir Ramdutt; her parents, Mr Logan Chinniah and Mrs Devashnee Chinniah; Mr Jaelen Chinniah; and Ms Asodhee Pillay.Ms Mayuri Chinniah has graduated cum laude with a Master of Science in Microbiology degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN). Her research explored how natural compounds found in South African seaweeds can help fight two major health challenges: diabetes and cancer.
Dr Kareshma Doolabh with her husband, Mr Abhishek Singh (far left); mother, Mrs Reshma Doolabh; and brother, Mr Karan Ashok Doolabh.
Dr Anne Chisa is carving a career in research and science communication.Dr Anne Chisa is celebrating the culmination of a PhD journey that has not only filled research gaps on a climate-smart indigenous crop species, but also launched an entire online science communication platform which promotes African science and innovation.
Cum laude graduate Mr Olwethu Ngubo’s academic and professional success was supported by a Nedbank bursary.
Dr Nothando Dlamini with her husband, Dr Nkosinathi Dlamini.Dr Nothando Dlamini’s innovative PhD study investigated how acceptable indigenous, non-alcoholic fermented beverages made from provitamin A biofortified maize and marula fruits are to communities in KwaZulu-Natal, where their introduction would strengthen sustainable food systems.
Dr Sindhu Gaddam’s PhD work focused on the crucial feed antenna design for the HIRAX radio telescope.Research that focused on the design, optimisation and characterisation of a wideband dual-polarised feed antenna for the HIRAX (Hydrogen Intensity and Real-time Analysis eXperiment) radio telescope secured Dr Sindhu Gaddam a PhD in Mathematics from the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).
Ms Asande Hadebe’s master’s research focused on terrestrial arthropods in ecologically important and threatened riparian zones.
Working on the HIRAX project inspired master’s graduate, Ms Tasmiya Papiah to further develop her expertise in astronomy.
Mr Mickalan Subramoney with his sister, Ms Chanel Subramoney, and father, Mr Siva Subramoney.Intellectual curiosity and a desire to contribute meaningfully to understanding the universe were the driving forces behind Mr Mickalan Subramoney’s journey towards a master’s degree at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN).
Science and Technology Education Centre intern Ms Bolelang Tsolo progressed from a university access programme to graduating with her master’s from UKZN.
Newly-capped summa cum laude graduate, Mr Jaedon Naidu, is preparing to head to Oxford University.
Dr Cameron Cormac’s PhD study is advancing the field of linear infrastructure ecology in South Africa.Doctoral research by the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s (UKZN) Dr Cameron Cormac in Ecological Sciences examined how infrastructure, such as roads, affects wildlife in protected areas in northern KwaZulu-Natal.
Dr Mary Akano sought to use sustainable chemical methods to remove pollutants from wastewater.PhD Chemistry graduate Dr Mary Akano chose to do her doctoral studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) because of its strong research focus and reputation for scientific innovation, particularly in chemistry and environmental studies.
Dr Nomusa Chizhande’s PhD sought to improve the yield and nutrients of sweet potatoes.Dr Nomusa Chizhande, a research officer at the Department of Research and Specialist Services in Zimbabwe, used her PhD research to identify genetic traits in sweet potato associated with high yield and improved nutritional quality, contributing to the development of high-yielding, nutrient-dense crop varieties with the potential to help combat malnutrition and improve farmer productivity.
Mr Keshav Bechoo’s master’s research explored improved collection and interpretation of radio signals from the universe.Mr Keshav Bechoo, who graduated with a master’s degree, has always been fascinated by the universe and how it works. This curiosity ultimately led him to pursue his MSc research with the HIRAX project under the supervision of Professor Kavilan Moodley.
Ms Nonsikelelo Nkwanyana’s summa cum laude master’s study formed part of an international project to reduce solvent use and waste.Ms Nonsikelelo Nkwanyana’s summa cum laude master’s study focused on green chemistry approaches to solid-phase peptide synthesis, demonstrating that small, strategic changes in experimental design can enhance reaction efficiency while significantly reducing solvent consumption and chemical waste.
Master’s graduate Ms Nerissa Rajkumar explored growing global concerns around pharmaceutical contamination of water.
Mr Emmanuel Valentine’s cum laude master’s in Crop Science is one of many achievements for the aspiring researcher.Mr Emmanuel Valentine achieved a cum laude result for an innovative master’s research project examining how treated domestic wastewater can be repurposed as a nutrient source in crop production to support more sustainable water and nutrient management practices.
Mr Sharlan Moodley’s cum laude master’s research employed statistical and machine learning techniques to predict students’ academic outcomes.Mr Sharlan Moodley took on the challenge of building a model to predict ordered levels of academic performance for his Master of Science in Data Science qualification with the aim of producing a more nuanced understanding of academic performance… and scored a cum laude result for his efforts.
