2020/21 Medal for Social Sciences and Humanities
Professor Maureen Nokuthula Sibiya
Nokuthula Sibiya is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor: Teaching and Learning at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) and an NRF rated scientist. She has previously served at DUT as the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health Sciences and Head of Department in Nursing. In 2015, she was inaugurated as a Fellow of the Academy of Nursing of South Africa in recognition of her contribution to primary health care. Prof Sibiya was bestowed with the Department of Science and Technology's 2018 South African Distinguished Woman Scientist in Humanities and Social Sciences. Her research area is primary health care with specific focus on maternal and child health. She has published over 70 peer-reviewed articles, two books, 12 book chapters and has successfully supervised over 65 postgraduate students.
Professor Samuel Izak Lubbe
Sam Lubbe is a retired research professor appointed at MUT to advise colleagues about approaches for research design. He holds a B. Com (UFS), B. Com (Hons) (UFS), M Com (UCT) and PhD (Wits). He has taught academic courses in the fields of Information Systems, supervised more than 100 honours graduates, seven masters graduates, 120 local and international MBA graduates and 15 doctoral graduates. He has published 73 articles in accredited peer reviewed journals on his own, and with his students and research colleagues. He is presently supervising three Doctoral and four Masters graduates in Financial Management at UNISA in the School of Business Leadership and is a guest co-editor of management, informatics and governance issues of the SA scholarly journal Alternation.
Professor Given Mutinta
Given Mutinta is an Associate Professor at the Department of Media and Communication Studies in the School of Language, Media and Communication at Nelson Mandela University. Holding two Doctorates from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, he teaches several courses in Media and Communication Studies, and Research Methodology. His specific research focuses on the use of action research approaches and culture-centred approach to advance HIV combination prevention. He is a member of the editorial board of the Journal of Health Communication, a Review Editor for the International Journal of Social Research Methodology, a member of the Health Communication working group for the Consultancy Africa Intelligence Research and part on the Eastern Cape Department of Health advisory committee for developing and implementing the provincial Health Promotion Strategy for the CoVID-19 pandemic.
Professor Yaseen Ally
Yaseen Ally, a Research Psychologist and Registered Counsellor with the Health Professions Council of South Africa, is an associate professor at Nelson Mandela University. His research areas include cultural and religious belief systems and their influence on mental health. He has been exploring research linked to supernatual belief systems and the role it plays in mental health within South African communities. During the COVID-19 pandemic and lockdown, he developed online platforms aimed at digitizing and sharing psychological information, and creating a dialogue around mental health. Data collected during lock down levels three to four will be used to shed light on the psychological and mental health needs in the wake of the pandemic. He centralises in his work, mentoring and empowerment of students.
These are the first four of the 30 nominations received in various categories for recognition at the upcoming event. We will continue to feature the rest of the nominees throughout this week until 18 March.
