Professors make Wits proud
JOBURG – Wits University's professors fly South Africa's flag high.
Two Wits University academics were recognised by Time magazine’s top 100 most influential in the world and by the American Academy of Arts of Sciences.
Prof. Glenda Gray and Prof. Achille Mbembe earned an international award for their outstanding work.
Gray, a HIV medical researcher has pioneered in preventing mother to child transmission of the virus which has saved thousand of lives.
She also received the Order of Mapungubwe in 2013, which is one of the highest orders awarded by the Presidency for her work.
The dedicated researcher is also an alumna of Wits Medical School and an associate professor at the Wits School of Clinical Medicine.
Gray established and directs the Wits Perinatal HIV Research Unit at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital and is involved in HIV vaccine research.
To add to her many hats, she is also the president and CEO of the South African Medical Research Council.
Mbembe is a professor at the Wits Institute for Social and Economic Research and has written in-depth works on African history and politics.
In his field, he is also an accomplished and respected public speaker and commentator.
He obtained his PhD in history at Sorbonne Paris in 1989 and a Diplome Etudes Approfondies which is a post graduate qualification in political science.
