This Women's Month, we're celebrating the academic staff at Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU) who are shaping minds and inspiring excellence through their teaching. These remarkable educators bring passion, innovation and dedication to the classroom, helping students thrive and succeed. Their stories reflect the impact of women at the heart of SU's academic community.
Prof Simone Titus-Dawson is an associate professor in the Department of Health Professions Education at the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, leading the Digital Education and Innovation focus area. As the recipient of a fellowship of the prestigious TAU (Teaching Advancement at Universities) Fellowships Programme in 2025, she leads research on technology-enhanced learning, including the application of game-based learning and augmented and virtual reality in health professions education.
Can you tell us a bit more about your background?
My academic journey is a bit of a fruit basket; full of different shapes, textures, colours, and complexities, but somehow they all fit beautifully together. I started with an undergraduate degree in sports science, then moved on to a master's degree that focused on gender studies, where I explored gender bias in male-dominated spaces. From there, I completed a PhD in Education that focused on game-based learning for cross-cultural engagement.
This journey gave me a rich interdisciplinary foundation across health sciences, psychology, sociology, management and education. It also helped me get comfortable in messy spaces that call for innovation and transformation.
I'm from Mitchells Plain on the Cape Flats, and my passion for teaching comes from my community. I grew up seeing people as knowers and doers, challenging assumptions about who gets to know, be and become.
People are at the centre everything I do, and I always remind myself that this student is someone's child, someone's friend, someone's somebody. They want to be seen and heard, and so I try to create spaces where students feel that their voice matters.
Did you have any role models who left a lasting impression on you as a student or educator?
Absolutely. I often talk about the 'points of light' in my journey when incredible women invited me into spaces I didn't know I belonged in. There are too many to name, and I would hate to leave anyone out. One of those lights invited me to join a project that was funded by the National Research Foundation (NRF) and spanned eight South African universities. It became the makerspace for my PhD.
I've had mentors who shaped how I write, think, teach and lead. Many are senior academics who give generously of their time, often through something as simple as a WhatsApp chat.
Through them, I see mentoring as academic citizenship and something I pay forward. Someone once taught me what I now know, and it is my social responsibility to share that knowledge openly and freely.
My other role model is my mom, who gives of herself so fully to family, neighbours, and friends. She's a quiet force of generosity.
Is there a particular aspect of your course or subject area that you especially enjoy teaching?
I find joy in all the courses I teach because I always learn something new. Isn't that the beauty of academia? Each year brings new insights and fresh ways of teaching the same content.
I enjoy teaching at the intersection of disciplines such as health sciences, leadership, education and technology, and I like that I get to do it differently every time. I'm probably my own worst critic, so I cannot say exactly what I teach particularly well, but I do try my best.
I love inviting students into a shared learning space, and I always say 'there is wisdom in the crowd', because I believe that learning happens when we all lean into discomfort together. I focus on digital education and use games and tech tools to support meaningful engagement and learning.
What does it mean to you to be a woman in academia today?
To be a woman of colour in academia often means carrying invisible labour. You have to stand tall in rooms not designed for you, shaped by traditions that exclude. I no longer bang on the glass ceiling. Instead, I take my seat, then I look around and make more room for others to sit. I believe in mentoring and coaching women, because I know the cost of silence and burnout. I try to be the kind of academic who lifts as I rise.
How do you incorporate technology in your teaching, and what role do you think artificial intelligence (AI) will play in the future of higher education?
Technology is core to how I teach, research, lead and collaborate. I lead a Digital Education and Innovation team, and I use tech to support interaction and build learning communities. I'm also currently running a faculty-wide AI learning series and working on a project exploring how AI can support cultural humility and storytelling in healthcare.
The role of AI in higher education is shifting daily. I'm a techno-optimist and I see how AI can help us personalise learning, support collaboration, and build assessments that really reflect real-world needs. But let me be clear: We are not inventing something new. We are simply amplifying what we as lecturers have always done – to meet learners where they are.
That said, we must be cautious. AI should serve higher education, not the other way around. We must prioritise equity and avoid widening existing digital divides. We also need ethical, practical frameworks for using AI responsibly. We must be intentional, transparent, and people-centred in how we bring AI into our classrooms.
What advice would you give to younger women entering the teaching profession today?
Know your why. Your purpose will anchor you when things get tough, and they will. You will face both subtle and structural barriers, and if you are clear on why you are here, you'll stay the course. Build your tribe. Share what you learn. Take up space unapologetically and remember someone is watching you and learning what's possible. Make it count.
PHOTO: Stefan Els
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