Science heroines win national awards
Women hold up half the sky, as the saying goes, and South African women made
up half the winners in the fifth annual South African science Oscars, hosted by
the National Science and Technology Forum at a glittering ceremony at the
Sandton Hilton in Johannesburg.
Genetically modified food and seed expert Dr Jocelyn Webster of the
biotechnology advocacy group AfricaBio, in Centurion, beat runner-up Coaltech
2020 in the non-profit science organisation category.
University of Pretoria education professor Sarah Howie took the prize for
individual scientific research, for her outstanding investigations into the
causes of (and possible solutions to) South African students’ low scores in
maths and sciences, which threaten the country's economic potential.
And Dr Wilma Vosloo, who heads the exotic diseases labs at the world-famous
Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute in Pretoria, walked off with the award for
best corporate science.
"For its quiet, unromantic, dedicated leadership in managing foot and
mouth disease in cattle and African swine fever, this Agricultural Research
Council team under Dr Vosloo has saved the industry and the taxpayer hundreds of
millions of rands," said Denis Hunt, head of the NSTF adjudication panel
for the past five years.
But the lady scientists will not be able to rest on their laurels. It was
obvious at the gala dinner that a new generation of savvy, funny, bright young
women scientists is being nurtured.
A dozen teenage girls from around the country were applauded for their top
performances in various scientific competitions, including the Expo for Young
Scientists and the Mathematics, Science and Technology Olympiads.
And female matriculants from disadvantaged communities of each province who
obtained the highest marks in mathematics and science were also cheered on by
the audience of high-ranking scientists.
Teachers – many of them female – weren’t left out, either. The winners
of the Sowetan/Telkom/Protec Teacher of the Year Awards were honoured.
"Students and teachers are our role models," said NSTF chief
executive officer, Dr James Hlongwane. "We need to recognise ordinary
individuals, such as educators and students, who make a significant impact in
science, not just salute professional scientists only."
But not every heavy, solid granite award went to members of the fairer sex.
Dr Kelvin Kemm, a nuclear scientist who became a journalist in frustration at
the "extreme green anti-nuclear misinformation" he encountered won the
prestigious award for an entire lifetime of scientific achievement. After 1000
articles and the creation of Impact, the country’s longest-running sci-tech TV
series, the Pretoria-based consultant said it’s impossible to completely
satisfy scientists and inform the general public at the same time: "I still
get up to 10 phone calls from scientists after every story, complaining that I
left out some important detail!"
Not every winner came from Gauteng, the industrial heartland of South Africa.
Thomas Rõthig founder of Rõth Medical Components, left his world-class
machining shop in Cape Town to accept the statue for best small scientific
company. The runner-up in the lifetime achievement category was Cape Town’s Dr
Michael Kahn of the Human Sciences Research Council, who jumpstarted the
100-plus Dinaledi (seSotho for stars) Schools, existing institutions which have
been pumped with extra resources in an effort to double the number of African
higher-grade matric passes in science and maths.
Professor Peter Clayton, head of Rhodes University’s computer science
department, flew up from the Eastern Cape to collect his award for science –
like Clayton's successful computer outreach programmes for poverty-stricken
students in the Grahamstown townships - which falls outside the boundary of
strict research. Clayton’s colleague, Dr Winston Leukes, the outgoing head of
Rhodes University’s biotechnology department, was a runner-up in the research
category, for his ability to harness natural ingredients from living things like
fungus and bacteria, and use them to do everything from reduce pollution to
brewing export-quality honeywine.
Now the race is on for next year's awards. "We've had more nominations
than ever before," said the NSTF's Dr James Hlongwane. "The calibre is
very high. It's great for South Africa."
But when will the NSTF launch an African scientist of the year award? If you
know of regional or national science awards elsewhere in Africa, please email
the details to Science In Africa. The email is editor@scienceinafrica.co.za
* The NSTF is on the internet at www.nstf.org.za.
See here for list of finalists for 2003 NSTF awards
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