August 2013 THERhodos ALUMNI PUBLICATION OF RHODES UNIVERSITY WHERE LEADERS LEARN LEX MPATI OUR NEW CHANCELLOR ON HIS GRAHAMSTOWN ROOTS SCHOOL OF LANGUAGES THE RAPID EXPANSION IN LANGUAGE STUDIES NEWSMAKERS A NEW HUB OF LIFE SCIENCE RESEARCH CONTENTS EDITORIAL Greetings from Qondakele Sompondo Page 3 NEWS IN BRIEF The Vice-Chancellor’s Awards and other staff achievers Page 4 ACADEMICS ON TRACK A SElf-MADE MAN Introducing Judge Lex Mpati, our new Chancellor Page 7 20 GIVING NEW LIFE TO THE SCIENCES Funding for new facilities will create a hub LISTEN TO THE WORLD AROUND YOU for life science research Ms Alex Sutherland’s community Page 8 work earned her the Vice-Chancellor’s Community Engagement Award RESEARCH SHORTS Page 20 Two new SARChI Chairs and Tebello Nyokong gets an NRF A-rating LARGER THAN LIFE Page 10 Fine Arts lecturer Christine Dixie’s research fellowship at The Smithsonian in THE RIGHT DONOR FOR THE JOB Washington Vera Adams, Rhodes Manager of Page 22 Development, speaks of the importance of nurturing relationships to research and ALUMNI TAKE NOTE development HONORARY DOCTORATES: Page 11 A PASSION, A CALLING Dr Carol Hofmeyr is creating spaces where A NEW HOME FOR LANGUAGE STUDIES art and health intersect Funding for facilities will help us keep pace Page 24 25 with the rapid expansion of the School of Languages and house our new SARChI TOWARDS A POSITIVE DESTIny Chair Jazz and Afrofolk music legend Dr Vusi Page 12 Mahlasela is uniting South Africa through music UNDERSTANDING OUR CORE SOCIAL Page 25 CHALLENGES The Vice-Chancellor’s Report 2013 TITAN’S DREAM Page 14 Alumnus Liam Pedersen is making his mark at NASA AT THE INTERFACE Page 26 The ISER’s new labour market research unit Page 16 A TIME TO GIVE BACK Professor Thembela Kepe lives his dream of THE ETHICS OF RESPONSIBLE giving a little back to his community LEADERSHIP Page 27 The Allan Gray Centre for Leadership Ethics explores the nature of leadership, ethics CAREER CLIMBERS and integrity Xolani Nyali, Sim Tshabalala, Judith Cloete Page 17 and Sherwin Bryce-Pease are alumni to watch INNOVATION FOR EDUCATION Page 28 & 29 Education celebrates 100 years with new ALUMNI WHO INSPIRE developments in its facilities, curriculum Our Old Rhodian and Emerging Old and qualifications Rhodian Awards for 2012 Page 18 Page 30 10 RHODOS / August 2013 NEWS IN BRIEF A SHORT HISTORY OF RATS Academics making their mark, alumni The annals of a Rhodent achievers and student shooting stars Page 40 Page 32 WALKING ON FIRE A SPORTING CHANCE The Give 5 Fire Walk shows students will News from the Rhodes Sports Foundation do just about anything to help out others Page 37 in need Page 41 OLD RHODIAN NEWS TALKING TO YOU PURPLE IS THE RAGE The results of our online alumni survey Purple Thursday is as infectious and Page 38 inspiring as Rhodes’ legacy of leadership Page 42 SABLE: CONNECTING EXPERTS South Africa’ new Silicon Valley-based PURPLE POWER – PEOPLE POWER springboard for business has its roots at Catch up with your Rhodes family at our Rhodes reunions 50 Page 39 Page 44 RU NETWORKING? Keeping you connected with RU social networking and fun events such as the OR Orientation cocktail party Page 46 RU GIVING? FUTURE PERFECT The Elizabeth Paterson Bequest and the UK Legacy Luncheon Page 47 OBITUARIES We give thanks for the lives of Jakes Gerwel and Amina Cachalia Page 48 HELPING STUDENTS A WELCOME BOOST The Old Rhodian Scholarship Awards show 48 us that helping students in need has its own rewards Page 49 CONNECTING STUDENTS WITH FUNDING For students like Palesa Mcimbi, the work of the Financial Aid office is invaluable Page 50 THE ANNUAL FUND REPORT Page 51 AcknOWLEDGING OUR DONORS Page 58 THE OLD RHODIAN UNION REPORT Professor Rod Walker reports back on the successes and future aspirations of the Old Rhodian Union 44 Page 61 RHODOS / August 2013 1 SARah-JANE BRADFIELD PAUL GREENWAY’s tertiary KIM MATHURINE is a GILLIAN RENNIE teaches is reading for a Masters education straddles freelance designer, part-time writing and editing in the degree with the School of Journalism and Fine Art. His lecturer, part-time student, School of Journalism and Journalism and Media Studies origins straddle Zimbabwe and full-time seeker of the Media Studies at Rhodes at Rhodes University and is and South Africa. But when it ultimate cup of coffee. University. She freelances as a researcher for the Conflict comes to photography he is an editor and proofreader, Sensitive Journalism Project, normally right in the middle has won a national award a Unesco-initiated project of somewhere. for profile writing, and was a the Sol Plaatje Institute for USC Annenberg/Getty Arts Media Leadership, Rhodes Journalism Fellow in 2010 ONTRIBUTORS University. and again in 2011. C STEPHANÉ MEINTJES is a freelance photographer currently completing her CATHY GUSH is passionate Masters Degree in Journalism about children’s literacy and Media Studies. and heads up the Lebone Photographer, writer and Literacy Programme in aspiring academic, Stephane ALEX BERNATZky is a MIKE SUTHERNS is hopefully Grahamstown. She is also a grew up on Rhodes University student and freelance out living the dream right part-time teaching assistant campus and sees the campus communication designer. now. in the Rhodes Journalism as her home. He is known as “that guy Department, with a particular with the weird hair”. He sees interest in promoting and himself as the unholy love facilitating educational child of Dieter Rams and reporting. David Carson which means his design style ranges from minimal to “Oh My God What Have You Done?!” JEANNIE WALLACE- KERRY PETER is a freelance MCKEOWN works at Rhodes writer and editor. Once a University in the Registrar’s Rhodes student herself Division and as a freelance and now a mother and writer. A Grahamstown KYLA HAZELL is a third Grahamstown local, for the resident and Rhodes year student completing past five years she been the alumnus, she is also a mother a Bachelor of Arts in Law, editor of this publication. and a poet, and holds writing Politics, and Philosophy as workshops at her home, well as the deputy editor of where coffee flows freely. The Oppidan Press. PUBLISHER: Rhodes University CONTACT © All rights reserved. No portion of this EDITOR: Kerry Peter [email protected] magazine may be reproduced in any form, tel 046 603 8887 whole or part thereof, without the prior written ART DIRECTOR/DESIGNER: Kim Mathurine fax 046 603 8744 consent of the publisher. Any information, errors DESIGNER: Alex Bernatzky Rhodes Alumni & Development or omissions are not the responsibility of the PHOTOGRAPHY: Paul Greenway Rhodes University publisher. The publisher does not accept liability PHOTOGRAPHIC ASSISTANT: PO Box 94 of any nature whatsoever arising out of or in Stephané Meintjes Grahamstown connection with the contents of this magazine. CONTRIBUTORS: Sarah-Jane Bradfield, 6140 All advertisements, advertorials and promotional Cathy Gush, Kyla Hazell, Michael Sutherns, material contained within this magazine have Jeannie Wallace-McKeown Rhodos is printed by Harry’s Printers on behalf been paid for and do not carry the endorsement PROOFREADER: Gillian Rennie of Rhodes University, 14 Kimberley Road, East of the publishers unless otherwise stated. London, 5201, South Africa. Tel 043 703 8800 Rhodos® is a registered trademark of Rhodes COVER PHOTOGRAPH of Lex Mpati: University. Paul Greenway 2 RHODOS / August 2013 EXPANDING OUR REACH ACROSS THE GLOBE Paul Greenway Paul Engaging our alumni irst up, I’d like to congratulate our many alumni who are Fachieving excellence in their chosen careers. We were pleased to note that you have achieved a 5% presence in the Mail & Guardian 200 Young South Africans (see page 36). In my column last year I mentioned two critical points as my department’s aims for the 2013 academic year. We wanted to continue engaging and forming partnerships with you, our alumni community, and become more relevant to our students. This year we launched our biggest alumni survey yet and have come away with a more nuanced understanding of what drives you, how you perceive Rhodes and South Africa, and most importantly how and what you would like us to share with you. The web-based survey targeted over 18 000 alumni with traceable emails and was conducted by Global Fluency Inc, a reputable international company owned by an Old Rhodian, Donovan Neale-May, a member of the Rhodes University Board of Governors and chairman of the Rhodes University Trust USA. Data has been compiled and analysed – check page 38 for a report on the survey findings. Through our strong partnership with the Students’ Representative Council (SRC) we have grown our student engagement activities and garnered the support of students, staff and alumni through the Purple Thursday Campaign. We hope more of you will join us in wearing new fundraising avenues, one of which understanding of where contributions purple with pride to demonstrate your familial ties to the is the staff giving program. Following in go would encourage them to donate. We Rhodes leadership ethic. the footsteps of our Vice-Chancellor, our have used this information to introduce We were thrilled with the outcome of the student staff members have signed up for Annual a new feature of our magazine, Donor giving program, Give 5, which raised over R40 000 for the Fund contributions through monthly salary Recognition, where we will recognise student hardship fund which provides pocket money for deductions. contributions of individuals, corporates and disadvantaged students at Rhodes. Our students really At our first fundraising event in foundations that support the University don’t hesitate in going the extra mile to help out one of Johannesburg later this year we will raise causes.