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2023 Higher Education Women Leaders Awards (HEWLA) Winners

Winner

Women in Humanities and Social Sciences

Prof. Nicolette Roman has a PhD in Psychology. She holds the position of Senior Professor, SARChI Chair in the study of families, Main Founding Member and Director of the Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of Children, Families and Society (CISCFS), in the Faculty of Community and Health Sciences, at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). As an appointed Visiting Professor at the University of Huddersfield in the UK, she did a public lecture titled: Family-centredness in healthcare: Striving for individual and family well-being. Professor Roman’s research focuses on family life to achieve family and social cohesion and well-being. Prof Roman is a C2 NRF rated.

 

Winner

Women in STEM

Prof Nosisi N Feza, a Deputy Vice Chancellor of Research and Postgraduate Studies at the University of Venda in Thohoyandou. In May 2007 she was awarded a Fulbright scholarship for her PhD in the United States. In 2008 she received the Inaugural Leroy and Margaret H. Callahan Scholarship. She is an NRF rated researcher and was awarded a diversity scholar award for her research on the influence of culture in teaching and learning of mathematics to students of African descendants by Michigan University. Recently in March 2023 she received a lifetime achiever award from her alma mater Nelson Mandela University.

Winner

Emerging Young Women Leaders

Dr Sisanda Nkoala is a Senior Lecturer in the Media Studies Department at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) with a PhD in Rhetoric Studies from UCT. She has held leadership positions in several professional organisations, including Brand South Africa, the International Association of Media and Communication Research and the African Journalism Educators Network. Sisanda is a passionate advocate for diversity and inclusion in academia, as evidenced by her role as the Faculty of Informatics and Design’s Language and Transformation Coordinator at CPUT. Dr Nkoala’s expertise as an educator includes providing training beyond the traditional classroom, to empower people from all walks of life on matters related to media and communication.
Prof Beatrice Opeolu

Winner

Trailblazer

Prof Beatrice Olutoyin Opeolu obtained her PhD (Environmental Toxicology) at the Federal University of Agriculture, Abeokuta (FUNAAB) in 2007. She is a full professor (Environmental Chemistry/Toxicology) and an established researcher (C3-rated). She has published over 120 articles in peer-reviewed journals, book chapters and conference proceedings in Environmental Chemistry and Environmental Toxicology discipline. She is the Immediate Past President of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (SETAC) Africa and the Vice-president of the SETAC World Council. Beatrice mentors many environmental science practitioners in academia, business, and government. She is the convener of SETAC Africa Women’s Events and the Co-convener of EmpowHerNg and EmpowHerSA.

Winner

Humanitarian

Prof. Tembisa Ngqondi, Dean of Faculty of Informatics and Design at Cape Peninsula University of Technology embraces inclusive philosophy and believes that human beings were born leaders in their respective capacity or capabilities. Her career journey is informed by transformative leadership style, believing in developing others as she grows. She is an active community member who participates in diverse community engagement projects, where she funds most of these projects through personal projects and funding from other sponsors. Her research interest is on Information and Communication Technology with specific focus on Information and Communication Technology for Development and Information Technology Governance.

Winner

Women in Academic Administration

Prof José Frantz is currently the Deputy Vice Chancellor: Research and Innovation at the University of the Western Cape. She was previously the Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences at the university. Prof Frantz has a background in health professions education and holds a doctorate in physiotherapy from the University of the Western Cape and is a past fellow and faculty of The Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER), Philadephia, US. She also participated in the Oxford University Leadership programme. Her commitment to human capacity development is reflected in the numbers of Master’s (44) and PhD students (19) that she has supervised and her academic activities in terms of teaching, learning and research.

Winner

Lifetime Achiever

Prof Heidi Abrahamse is the Director of the Laser Research Centre, and DSI/NRF SARChI Chair. Her career spans over 30 years characterized by academic excellence. She received the University of Johannesburg Vice Chancellor Distinguished Award for Outstanding Researcher, 2010 and 2020, while in 2019 and 2022 the International Photodynamic Association Humanitarian and Research Excellence Awards. She has graduated 63 masters, 38 PhDs and 26 PDRFs and published over 400 publications. She is an NRF B-rated scientist with a Scopus H-index of 45 and she is ranked in the top 0.0044% of 44 977 published authors worldwide on Photosensitizing Agents.