Two Wits students, Thompho Netshivhera and Rachel Haupt clinched top honours at the renowned Global Undergraduate Awards (UA) hosted in Dublin, Ireland recently.
The awards mark a significant achievement for both the students and the university. Thompho Netshivhera, a first-year Master’s Degree in Mechanical Engineering candidate, achieved highly acclaimed and global winner status in the engineering category at the awards. Netshivhera received the esteemed Thomas Chucklin Gold Medal for his hydro turbine project.
His project was inspired by his desire to address environmental challenges faced in his community. The hydro turbine project exemplifies Netshivhera’s commitment to sustainable solutions. “It wasn’t just about me– the project was about securing funding to benefit communities across South Africa by cleaning up our rivers.”
Haupt, a Master’s Degree by Research in Geography student, was named the regional winner for Africa and the Middle East at the Global Undergraduate Awards. Haupt’s research focused on the application of optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating to derive ages for coastal dune deposits along the West Coast of South Africa. Her work not only earned her the regional winner title but also showcased the unique capabilities of Wits in the field.
“The ability to study both the human and the physical environment is so eye-opening. I think understanding coastal environments is important in light of climate change. Although the focus of the research is dating paleosols, the work provides insight into our coastlines and their susceptibility to change. The field of optically stimulated luminescence dating is incredible as it can be used as a springboard for climate reconstruction. Furthermore, I think that showing the unique and diverse research that Wits is doing and equipped to do is important.”
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