From left: Prof Peter Dunsby, Prof Lucy Gilson, Prof Graeme Meintjes, DVC Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng, Prof Bruce Hewitson, Prof Michael Lambert, VC Dr Max Price, Prof Malcolm Collins, Prof Chuma Himonga and Prof Chris Reason

Eleven new Fellows were inducted into UCT’s prestigious College of Fellows this year at a ceremony and dinner held on Wednesday, 11 October.

In her welcome address, Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng, Deputy Vice-Chancellor for Research and Internationalisation, said that the evening was a celebration intended to “recognise academic staff whose distinguished work deserves special recognition”.

She went on to thank the new Fellows “for the work you do because it’s the work that you do that gives us a good name. It’s the work that you do that makes people look at us. It’s the work that you do that makes the world say that we are number one in Africa.”

Commenting on the “bumper crop” of new Fellows elected this year, Vice-Chancellor Dr Max Price said, “These were not contested at all ... for every candidate the question was asked ‘How come we didn’t appoint them before?’ ”

Dr Price continued: “The research business of the university has continued to do incredibly well, and that’s thanks to all of you. To the Fellows and your colleagues, the distinguished scientists, the researchers, your students, your PhD students and your postdoc fellows, and your teams.”

The new UCT Fellows for 2017 are:

• Professor Bruce Hewitson, Department of Environmental and Geographical Science
• Professor Chris Reason, Department of Oceanography
• Professor Chuma Himonga, Department of Private Law
• Professor Crick Lund, Department of Psychiatry and Mental Health (in absentia)
• Professor Graeme Meintjes, Institute of Infectious Disease and Molecular Medicine
• Professor Karen Barnes, Division of Clinical Pharmacology (in absentia)
• Professor Lucy Gilson, School of Public Health and Family Medicine
• Professor Malcolm Collins, Department of Human Biology
• Professor Michael Lambert, Department of Human Biology
• Professor Peter Dunsby, Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics
• Professor Peter Ryan, Percy FitzPatrick Institute of African Ornithology (in absentia).

This year’s recipients of the annual Young Researcher Awards: (from left) Dr Sudesh Sivarasu, DVC Prof Mamokgethi Phakeng, Dr Alvaro de la Cruz-Dombriz, VC Dr Max Price, Dr Juana Sanchez-Ortega, Dr Shannon Morreira and Dr Ross Hofmeyr.

The evening also saw the presentation of the annual Young Researcher Awards, which honour the significant contributions that UCT’s young researchers have made to research in their particular fields. This year’s recipients were:

• Dr Alvaro de la Cruz-Dombriz, Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics
• Dr Amit Mishra, Department of Electrical Engineering (in absentia)
• Dr Juana Sanchez-Ortega, Department of Mathematics and Applied Mathematics
• Dr Ross Hofmeyr, Department of Anaesthesia
• Dr Shannon Morreira, Education Development Unit
• Dr Sudesh Sivarasu, Department of Human Biology.