It was with great pride that the Faculty of Veterinary Science at the University of Pretoria (UP) hosted its second Doctoral Celebration of 2015 on 2 September. The ceremony honoured two graduates from the Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Ms Fulufhelo Amanda Doboro and Ms Nomakorinte Gcebe, and one from the Department of Anatomy and Physiology, Ms Modesta Liku John Makangu.

After a warm welcome by the Dean, Prof Darrell Abernethy, the newly appointed Head of the Department of Veterinary Tropical Diseases, Prof Tshepo Matjila, introduced the supervisors for his Department’s graduates, namely Prof Stephen Njiro (Onderstepoort Veterinary Institute, who supervised Ms Doboro) and Prof Anita Michel (who supervised Ms Gcebe). Prof Herman Groenewald, Head of the Department of Anatomy and Physiology, then introduced Ms Makungu, for whom he had acted as supervisor.

The new PhD graduates each presented their study findings. Their PhD studies reflected the diverse fields of their research. Ms Doboro’s study was on ‘Molecular analysis of ovine herpes virus 2 strains in South Africa’, Ms Gcebe’s was on ‘The occurrence and molecular characterisation of non-tuberculosis mycobacteria in cattle, African buffalo and their environments in South Africa and genomic characterisation and proteomic comparison with Mycobacterium bovis’, and Ms Makungu’s was on ‘Aspects of the morphological, radiographic and ultrasonographic anatomy of the red panda and ring-tailed lemur’.

The first Doctoral event in April this year celebrated the achievements of nine PhD candidates from the Faculty.