A 2017 Recap

Posted by Dr Kolisa Yola Sinyanya on

It’s a new year, a chance to improve, conquer and be fierce. The new year brings opportunity, a chance to correct our mistakes and of course work towards finishing what we started. I’m one of the most prominent believers in women. Women are powerhouses, we sometimes forget just how valuable and influential we are in society. Unfortunately, our contributions are often suppressed or undermined- gender inequalities. With that said, I would love to applaud women in science, you ladies are doing an amazing job! In 2017 I had the opportunity to interview prominent and up and coming women in the world of STEM. This is an idea my supervisor, Dr Sarah Fawcett had placed in my brain. Sarah believed that I would do it so well and no one would do it like I would (*blush*), and the rest is history!

In 2017, the second half of my first year and the first half of the second year of Ph.D., I had an opportunity to visit the South African Prince Edward Islands (46°46’23’’S, 37°51’09’’E) for Ph.D. sampling (a chapter in my Ph.D.). It was a great experience with its ups and downs. We, at some point, had the opportunity to fly by helicopter to one of the islands, a very eerie island, Marion Island. It was EPIC! On that sampling expedition, I spotted a mooring that had been astray for some time and carried with it very important data. I spotted it with the naked eye from the bridge of the R/V SA Agulhas II.

 

Screen Shot 2018-01-01 at 17.59.10.png
The ocean-based scientists, including the chief scientist (bottom right) after a long night on the ship.
Screen Shot 2018-01-01 at 16.44.43
Night sampling, with problems occurring occasionally.
Screen Shot 2018-01-01 at 18.31.53.png
That’s everyone on the bridge looking for the mooring. Not to worry though. I located it.

Screen Shot 2018-01-01 at 16.19.45

Screen Shot 2018-01-01 at 16.44.03

Screen Shot 2018-01-01 at 17.59.35.png
The team in the aircraft.
Screen Shot 2018-01-01 at 16.20.22.png
Our home, the ship from the island.
Screen Shot 2017-12-18 at 12.51.49
Hiking on Marion Island. Photo by Makhudu Masotla

 

20170412_122338
In the Subantarctic it looks sunny from inside the vessel, but as soon as you step outside you realise just how bone-cracking cold it is outside.

In August of 2017, I also became a runner-up in the UCT leg heats of FameLab. This is a triumph I will forever be proud of. It somewhat opened doors for me. Due to this accomplishment, I was featured in the 2017 UCT Science Faculty Newsletter (ABSOLUTELY WOW!). Additionally, the South African Women In Science and Engineering (SAWISE) featured me in their October newsletter. What an honour.

Screen Shot 2018-01-01 at 17.21.59.png
The Vice-Chancellor, Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng at the University of Cape Town, announcing our wins.

Screen Shot 2018-01-01 at 17.49.47.png

 

Screen Shot 2018-01-01 at 18.10.01.png
OVERWHELMING!
Screen Shot 2018-01-01 at 17.20.32.png
A snippet of the SAWISE newsletter feature.

For the year 2017, I finally would love to applaud my mentor, Dr Sarah Fawcett, a pioneer of greatness while being the greatness herself. She was awarded a “Prestigious P rating”.  Sarah’s team is predominantly made up of women. We (our team) embody the women in science narrative. We do not just speak of it, it is a reality. Onwards and upwards to you all in 2018, from womeninsciencehub.wordpress.com!

Screen Shot 2018-01-01 at 18.13.11
Fawcett’s point of view.

On the cruise and on land, I had a chance to mingle with National Geographic photographer, Thomas Peschak who gave us two presentations of his work, on the ship. Finally, at one of the UCT Engineering events, I had the privilege to meet South Africa’s Minister of Science and Technology, Minister Naledi Pandor who I am on a mission to interview for this very blog.

Screen Shot 2018-01-01 at 16.22.13.png
Thomas from Nat Geo.

 

22540172_10208055546426075_9021176486346996421_n.jpg
The intriguing Minister Naledi Pandor

 

With this and more, 2017 was a year to remember!

 

Leave a comment