PhD candidate, Ms Refilwe Mofokeng of the School of Life Sciences spent two months at the University of Birmingham working with UKZN alumnus, Dr Holly Nel on the science surrounding microplastic pollution thanks to a prestigious Fellowship from the Association of Commonwealth Universities (ACU). UKZN postdoctoral scholar Dr Trishan Naidoo, received a similar Fellowship which allowed him to spend time at the University of Plymouth, hosted by Professor Richard Thompson, an expert in the field of plastic pollution.

UKZN Computer Science alumnus Mr Lloyd Gordon launched a mathematical learning app called Open Omnia that assists high school learners and university students struggling with mathematics. In just a week after its launch, the app was downloaded more than a 1 000 times a day in over 20 different countries. The App, which has multiple features making it suitable for both high school and university mathematics, is a winning business concept that received funding from Ithala and the UKZN InQubate/ENSPIRE Programme.  The android app can be found here

UKZN alumnus Mrs Penny Kaye (née Burns), has been awarded an MBE (Member of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire) by Queen Elizabeth II, Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth countries. As a MacMillan Cancer Support Charity dietician within the NHS (National Health Service) structure, Kaye, who  graduated with a BSc Dietetics degree and Postgraduate Diploma from the former University of Natal (now University of KwaZulu-Natal) in 1991, is being awarded the MBE for her work with oncology patients in assisting them with the diet-related side effects of their cancer treatment.  She received the award on 2 May.

Professor Debra Roberts, UKZN alumnus, Honorary Professor, Head of the Sustainable and Resilient City Initiatives Unit at the eThekwini Municipality, and South Africa’s first Co-Chair of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Working Group, was named one of the World’s 100 Most Influential People in Climate Policy for 2019 by the public servants’ networking group, Apolitical.

A-rated scientist within the School of Chemistry and Physics, Professor Fernando Albericio received the prestigious 2019 Murray Goodman Scientific Excellence & Mentorship Award from the American Peptide Society. The award recognises career-long research excellence in the field of peptide science and significant mentorship and training of students, post-doctoral fellows, and colleagues.

Professor Thomas Konrad and Professor Richard Mace from the School of Chemistry and Physics were each awarded a B-rating by the NRF, recognising them as internationally acclaimed researchers in their respective fields, namely, quantum physics with an interest in the field of optics; and the kinetic theory of waves and instabilities in space plasmas.

Prof Sunil Maharaj in the School of Mathematics, Statistics and Computer Science received the Honorary Fellowship Award for his contributions in the field of the Mathematical Sciences from the Mangosuthu University of Technology (MUT).

The South African Research Chair (SARChI) in Agronomy and Rural Development at UKZN, Professor Paramu Mafongoya, was inducted as an elected Fellow of the African Academy of Sciences (AAS) in Agricultural and Nutritional Sciences.