Award for Editor-in-chief of Science in Africa!
 Dr
Janice Limson, founder and editor-in-chief of Science in Africa was one of the
winners at the recently held National Science and Technology forum awards for
"Outstanding contribution for science, engineering and technology".
The NSTF awarded the prize to Limson for her development of the online
science magazine, Science in Africa. She is currently actively engaged in
research in the neuroscience research group at Rhodes University. Science in
Africa represents an important part of her commitment to both showcasing African
science to Africa and the rest of the globe and towards improving the public
understanding of science. Science in Africa has been running for a year and a
half and is a monthly online magazine which showcases scientific achievements
and progress from Africa in an understandable way to the general public. The
magazine has received over 1, 3 million hits and is widely read in over 70
countries.
She firmly believes that scientists have an important role to play in
nurturing a culture of science in South Africa through communicating and
publicizing important research focuses and developments to the general public.
The National Science and Technology forum awards is now in its fourth year
and acknowledges the most outstanding contributions from individuals and
organizations in the field of Science, Engineering and Technology (SET) in six
categories.
The awards were presented this year by the President of the National Research
Foundation (NRF), Dr Khotso Mokele, on behalf of the Ministry of Arts, Culture,
Science and Technology. The award ceremony at the Sandton Hilton in Johannesburg
on 3 May 2002 was well attended by several dignitaries from government, industry
and tertiary education.
Nominations were received from stakeholders late last year and were 50% up
over the previous year. Nominees and winners in the six categories honouring
both individual scientists and organisations included Prof H Christo Viloen,
Univ of Stellenbosch who drove the SUNSAT micro-satellite programme and Prof
Christopher Vaughan and Prof Gerhard de Jager of UCT for their contributions to
the field of medical imaging and Prof Mike Bruton of the MTN ScienCentre.
Nothing works without team-work, believes Dr Limson: "The NSTF award is
thanks to the efforts of many people including Rhodes University PhD student
Garth Cambray who is co-editor of Science in Africa, Jenny Marais who is the
magazine's Science Granny, Science Journalists including Christina Scott of the
SABC, colleagues in the public
understanding of science programmes in South Africa and importantly the
many scientists and readers globally who are fundamental to the success of the
magazine." She firmly believes that great science happens in Africa but science needs to be heard, it needs to be
accessible and it needs to be understandable. Visit www.scienceinafrica.co.za
to find out why they have a winning formula.
Janice Limson may be contacted at 083 248 0100 or by e-mail at editor@scienceinafrica.co.za.
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