The best celebrated at the Science Students Awards
During the Science Student Awards ceremony on Wednesday, 01 April 2026, nearly 110 students secured over 200 class and departmental awards for the 2025 academic year.
The Dean of Science, Professor Hussein Suleman, opened the event by welcoming guests and reflecting on its significance. “These awards are special because they recognise those who are the best at the university. If you are receiving an award today, congratulations, you are the best in your group, and among the best in your cohort. This is what we are acknowledging today.”
He continued by challenging students to reflect on what comes next: “This is an accomplishment — to be the best of the best. But what happens after you receive this award? I see this as a challenge. You have demonstrated that you are among the best at UCT, but where are you going to go from here? These are questions you need to ask yourself — but first, we celebrate.”
Among the award recipients were several students recognised for achieving excellence across multiple disciplines. Caitlin Jackson received multiple class awards and prestigious prizes across Human Biology and Molecular & Cell Biology, including the WA Jolly Prize. Her achievements demonstrate sustained excellence and an exceptional ability to succeed across disciplines, setting a high benchmark for academic distinction.
Asked how she stayed grounded and motivated, Caitlin explained, “Exercise and spending time outdoors has helped me remain grounded and motivated. Exercise was also a great way to reset my brain and improve my focus, preventing study burnout. Being out in nature really helped me calm down and reset whenever I felt stressed or overwhelmed by my studies.”
Similarly, Kamryn Naidoo’s achievements resulted in a strong collection of prizes, including the Gordon Percy Memorial Award, the Alistair Stephen Memorial Award, and recognition for Best Oral Presentation.
Speaking about his journey, Kamryn reflected: “Chemistry Honours was one of the most challenging yet rewarding experiences of my academic journey thus far. There were moments when the workload and demanding nature of research felt overwhelming, but what kept me engaged was the people around me and my passion for the science itself. I was incredibly fortunate to have the guidance and encouragement of my supervisor, Dr Marwaan Rylands, whose invaluable mentorship and unwavering support were instrumental in helping me grow as a researcher and persevere through difficult moments.”
Andreia De Sousa, who received a notable mention at last year’s awards, was recognised again this year through both class awards and faculty prizes, including the Roberts Award in Chemistry and the SASBMB Prize in Molecular & Cell Biology. Her achievements underscore the strength of interdisciplinary excellence.
“Once again, I am thrilled and deeply grateful to be recognised as a top achiever at UCT. I could not have achieved without the dedicated support system I have found within my peers, family, and lecturers. My best explanation for how I managed to push through third year is simple: asking questions. Not just the occasional question but seriously engaging with the content and my lecturers beyond the surface level.” she said.
She plans to carry this approach forward. “This is also the advice I plan to follow as I continue through my Honours year. So far, I have found the programme to be incredibly challenging, but with the support of my loved ones, I am determined to persevere.”
The ceremony concluded with the awarding of the PhD Medal and the Joseph Arenow Prize to David Lloyd-Jones, accepted on his behalf by Associate Professor Susan Cunningham, Director of the FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology.
Lloyd-Jones’s PhD thesis, Cooperation, ecology and behaviour in the honeyguide-human mutualism, is a study in behavioural ecology that examines the unique cooperation between humans and greater honeyguide birds, which guide people to wild bees’ nests in exchange for wax. His research in northern Mozambique shows that this partnership benefits both species, increasing humans’ success in finding honey while remaining stable over time. He finds that other animals feeding on leftover wax do not disrupt the relationship, and that honeyguides occasionally lead humans to animals other than bees, likely due to memory errors rather than intent. Although honey-hunting can involve cutting trees, his research indicates that in landscapes with low human density, the overall environmental impact remains low.
Reflecting on the recognition, he said, “I am very honoured to receive the PhD Medal and Joseph Arenow Prize. This recognition is a tribute to what can come from collaboration with outstanding mentors and peers, and from extended fieldwork in collaboration with honey-hunting communities. UCT’s open-mindedness and support for long-running fieldwork were key to making this research possible. The prize is also a reminder that cooperation is valuable and that important discoveries can come from studying it, not only between people, but also between humans and other species.”
These students represent just a small part of the cohort celebrated on the day, reflecting the depth of excellence within the Faculty of Science and the promise of what lies ahead.