Female doctoral graduate frrom the University of Pretoria explores innovative approaches to energy efficiency

Dr Rachel Kufakunesu, who recently obtained her PhD in Electronic Engineering from the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology, is proving that women are increasingly making a difference in engineering. After completing her studies at the Harare Polytechnic College in Zimbabwe in 1995, she worked in industry for 13 years. She started off as an electronics technician and rose within the ranks to become a technical manager, until she relocated to South Africa in 2009.  

She decided to further her education and enrolled at the University of South Africa (Unisa) for her undergraduate studies, as well as for her master’s degree, which she obtained cum laude. However, when it came to enrolling for her doctorate, she decided on the University of Pretoria as its Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering is renowned for its strong engineering programmes and research facilities. It is ranked as the top university for electrical and electronic engineering in South Africa and is recognised internationally for its contributions to engineering and technology, which made it the ideal place for her to pursue her PhD. She believes that the Beijing Conference on Women in 1995 played an important role in paving the way for women to participate in all spheres of public life, especially in education and training, and she needed to embrace the opportunities that were available for women in her field of specialisation.

Her thesis, titled “Energy-efficient adaptive data rate optimisation scheme for LoRaWAN”, explored innovative approaches to enhance energy efficiency in low-power wide area networks, with a focus on long-range wide area network (LoRaWAN) technology within the Internet of Things (IoT). This research is considered groundbreaking.

During her research, she identified the critical challenge of battery lifespan in resource-limited LoRaWAN end devices and the necessity for optimised data transmission strategies. To address this, she developed a novel fuzzy-logic-based adaptive data rate (FL-ADR) scheme and a stochastic-based adaptive data rate protocol called SSFIR-ADR. These protocols considerably improve energy consumption, network lifetime and packet delivery ratio, and minimise interference. The potential impact of this research is substantial, especially for applications in remote monitoring, smart health, smart cities and smart agriculture. She is particularly grateful for the support she received from her supervisors, Prof Gerhard Hancke and Dr Adnan M. Abu-Mahfouz, along her research journey.

While studying full-time for her PhD, Dr Kufakunesu worked as an assistant lecturer in the Faculty’s Department of Computer Science, in the School of Information Technology. Here she could put her knowledge of computer networks and network security to good use. Since obtaining her PhD, she has been able to contribute to the work of the Department of Electrical, Electronic and Computer Engineering’s Smart Sensing and Intelligent Systems Research Group, under the leadership of Prof Herman Myburgh. As a postdoctoral fellow, she is working on a solar energy project focusing on communication protocols for the United States Army Research Laboratory.

Dr Kufakunesu admits that working as a woman in engineering is not without its challenges, having to break stereotypes in this male-dominated field, balancing one’s time as a student, an academic, a wife and a mother. She found this especially challenging during the first year of her doctoral studies. However, she soon found her balance, and despite dealing with additional eye health issues, she was able to achieve the success she had dreamt of. She joined professional networks that supported women in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM), like the Organisation for Women in Science for the Developing World (OWSD), Women in Tech and Mothers in Science, from which she received invaluable guidance and encouragement.

Her advice to other women considering a career in engineering: “Follow your passion and believe in your capabilities. Remain curious, keep learning and be resilient in the face of challenges. Seek out a mentor to guide you, as you can benefit from those who have gone before you and can help you thrive. Build strong networks, and finally, don’t be afraid to ask for help.”

She has found her place in academia and sees a future for herself as a researcher and lecturer who is able to groom the next generation of engineers.