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SPU welcomes first Risk and Vulnerability Science Centre post-doctoral fellow

Seven months after its launch, the Risk and Vulnerability Science Centre (RVSC) at Sol Plaatje University (SPU) has appointed its first post-doctoral fellow. Dr Abimbola Oluwalana will conduct research which seeks to respond to the growing climate change challenges faced by Kimberley residents.

RVSCs are a flagship programme of the Department of Science and Innovation (DSI) and the National Research Foundation (NRF). The RVSC at SPU was established in September 2021 and focuses on the need to generate and disseminate knowledge on risks and vulnerabilities on global change challenges facing communities and decision-makers in the Northern Cape. The RVSC at SPU primarily aims to develop the skills base of postgraduate students in global and climate change science, specifically within the context of arid environment and drylands.

Dr Oluwalana, who completed her doctoral degree in material chemistry at the University of KwaZulu-Natal and has over 15 publications under her belt, is set to work on research within SPU’s School of Natural and Applied Sciences (SoNAS). “I couldn’t be more excited about this new journey at SPU,” she said. “I hope to set a pace for other emerging scholars who will be coming after me. As an emerging research-active institution SPU prides itself on researching the vast needs of the Northern Cape and coming up with real-life scientific solutions. It is an honour to join the University in this important work.”

Professor Aifheli Gelebe, Head of SoNAS, said the School is proud to welcome its new postgraduate fellow. “The School of Natural and Applied Sciences is excited to embark on this journey with our first RVSC postdoctoral fellow. Dr Oluwalana is an experienced researcher who we have no doubt will attain the goal set by the establishment of the RVSC – to strengthen research output at a postgraduate level. Through her research we will learn more about the climate change challenges specifically faced by our city, region and province. This research will prove invaluable as we continue to use research and science to counter climate change and prepare for the future world.

Dr Oluwalana joined SPU on 1 April 2022 and will be with the institution as a postgraduate fellow for a period of one year. “I hope to diversify my knowledge and I’m open to working with different disciplines ranging from computer science to microbiology,” she said. “Through my research and experience I hope to help put SPU on the academic map with robust research publications, which involves quality research, because this research topic is visible and not something in abstract.”

She will be working under the supervision of Professor Nhamo Chaukura in the Department of Physical and Earth Sciences. Prof Chaukura’s research focusses on environmental technology, remediation and water treatment. RVSC Director Dr Doug Harebottle, who is hosting Dr Olulawana, highlighted that, “The RVSC is a first of its kind and is a great milestone for SPU. The Centre is happy with its progress over its first seven months and will build on this and find ways for more students to join the programme.”

Dr Oluwalana’s primary research interest is inorganic chemistry, but she says she won’t limit herself. “I will be looking into applying my knowledge to fields in environmental sciences, such as wastewater treatment and how we can regenerate water to be used for human consumption. My goal is to ensure that research does not end in the lab, and that real impact is made in the community.”

SPU congratulates Dr Oluwalana on her appointment as the first post-doctoral fellow at the RVSC, and we look forward to her ground-breaking research!

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