Article by: Division for Research Development and Nane Zietsman
Stellenbosch University’s (SU) annual Research Output Award ceremony took place virtually on Friday 5 February 2021. The awards were presented to SU researchers who made the biggest contribution to accredited publications (based on audited publication statistics of the 2018-output year) and doctoral graduates (December 2019/March 2020 graduations).
For the purpose of the recognition with regards to accredited publications, two categories were taken into account, namely (i) researchers making the biggest contributions in terms of the publication subsidy units (PUs) of the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET) (cut-off this year was 4.45) and (ii) researchers who produced the highest number of accredited research publications in collaboration with their national and international research partners and students (cut-off this year was 14). In this round, supervisors who delivered three or more doctorates for the period mentioned were also acknowledged.
Six staff members in the Faculty of Engineering were awarded for their respective research outputs.
The Department of Industrial Engineering had the most recipients, with three of their staff members being honoured for their work. Head of Department, Prof Corne Schutte was awarded for his research in the field of Innovation and Knowledge Management. The second recipient, Prof Saartjie Grobbelaar, received a commendation for her research in national and regional systems of innovation, STI policy, Technology Management, and sustainable development. Prof Jan van Vuuren was the third recipient in the department with his field of interest being graph Ramsey Theory, graph colouring problems, graph routing problems, and graph domination theory.
In the Department of Process Engineering Prof Johann Görgens and Prof Cara Schwarz both received awards for their particular research outputs. Prof Görgens’s research focus is on the development of process technologies for the conversion of biomass and wastes into valuable products, in a manner that is practical, affordable, and sustainable. Prof Schwarz was awarded for her search efforts in the field of thermodynamics and separation processes.
The sixth recipient of the award is Prof Gideon van Zijl, Head of Department for Civil Engineering. His areas of interest are structural mechanics and computational mechanics, the durability of new construction materials, constitutive models for cement-based materials, the sustainability of the built environment, and the 3D printing of concrete.
The Faculty commend these staff members for their hard work and the impact of their research foci on their respective fields.
Read the full article published on Stellenbosch University’s website here.
Photo caption: (left to right) Prof Corne Schutte, Prof Saartjie Grobbelaar, Prof Jan van Vuuren, Prof Johann Görgens, Prof Cara Schwarz and Prof Gideon van Zijl
