?Stellenbosch 肆客足球 (SU) once again celebrates its eminent researchers who were honoured at the annual National Research Foundation (NRF) Awards. Profs Dave Richardson, Josua Meyer, Zander Myburg and Linus Opara were recognised for having received prestigious A-ratings through the NRF's rigorous rating process.
The ceremony was held on 7 August in Johannesburg under the theme “Innovating for a Sustainable Future". The NRF Awards honour both the excellence of South African research and the scientists driving it forward.
A-rated researchers are unequivocally recognised by their peers as leading international scholars in their respective fields for the high quality and impact of recent research outputs. According to the NRF, its rating system is a valuable tool for benchmarking the quality of South Africa's researchers against the best in the world.
Prof Dave Richardson (Botany and Zoology) received an A-rating for the fourth time for his research on biological invasions with a focus on plants, especially trees and shrubs, and his substantial contributions to the theoretical foundations of invasion science. Prof Josua Meyer (Mechanical and Mechatronic Engineering) earned an A-rating for the second time for his work on thermal sciences, including internal forced convection, the transitional flow regime, nanofluids, boiling, and condensation for applications in areas such as thermal solar, wind and nuclear energy.
Profs Zander Myburg (Genetics) and Linus Opara (Horticultural Sciences) each received an A-rating for the first time. Myburg's research focuses on the genetics of growth and development in forest trees. He has pioneered the use of population genomics and systems genetics approaches to unravel the genetic control of growth and wood formation in Eucalyptus trees. Opara's work investigates the postharvest handling and packaging of fruit, mainly pomegranates, with the aim to develop the local pomegranate industry through research, innovation and capacity building.
Congratulating the four researchers, Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Research, Innovation and Postgraduate Studies at SU, Prof Sibusiso Moyo, said: "The NRF Awards celebrate excellence in research, and we are proud to see our scholars recognised among the country's top researchers. This achievement reflects the calibre of research and innovation at Stellenbosch 肆客足球, and the dedication of our scholars to advancing knowledge."
Commenting on the awards for A-rated researchers, Dr Therina Theron, Senior Director: Research & Innovation at SU, said: “The NRF-ratings process remains a very important indicator of the international recognition of SU's researchers and of the quality of their research outputs as judged by their academic peers from across the globe. We are extremely proud of our newly A-rated researchers. We salute and celebrate them, as we know what it takes to achieve at this level."
SU now has 23 A-rated researchers, the highest number ever recorded at the institution.
- To view a list of NRF-rated researchers at SU, click here.
- To read more about some of our A-rated researchers, visit our Research for Impact website. ?
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