Prof Elna Buys has been appointed as the Head of the newly merged Department of Consumer and Food Science from 1 November 2017.

She obtained her PhD in Microbiology, with specialisation in Food Microbiology, from the University of the Witwatersrand in 2000. She has been involved in teaching and research for the past 25 years.

Prof Buys' research focuses on the animal products, safety and shelf life. She has published widely in ISI journals with high impact factors and she holds a South African patent. She has supervised to completion several master's and doctoral students.

She holds a C1 rating from the NRF. She has received research awards from the Agricultural Research Council and the dairy industry for her contributions to research and teaching. She contributes regionally as a food safety auditor of food safety standards and represents South Africa on several International Dairy Federation standing committees.

Prior to this appointment, Prof Buys was Head of the Department of Food Science, the focus of which has always been on world class and Africa-relevant food science and technology. This African relevance is a strong and powerful interface and in synergy with Consumer Science. Prof Buys' vision for the new Department is precisely to build on these great strengths of the two departments and create a unique Afrocentric food, nutrition and well-being offering that really does meet the needs of the graduates and the people of Africa in the 21st century.

Given the available expertise in the area of food, nutrition and well-being, the new Department will position the Faculty uniquely specifically towards the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.

The University wishes Prof Buys great success in her new responsibilities as Head of Department of Consumer and Food Science.