Future scientists awarded as exceptional achievers

Posted on June 13, 2022

Nearly 70 prizes were awarded at the Annual Exceptional Achievers Function for the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences students in May this year.

Dr Ntombi Gama from the Department of Biochemistry, Genetics and Microbiology was the programme director. Mr Luke Invernizzi, a postgraduate student from the Department of Chemistry, was the guest speaker.

Mr Invernizzi’s research focus on natural product chemistry and biodiscovery, and the quality of his MSc of such high quality that it has been upgraded to a PhD. Between all his studies and research activities, he made time to get his third dan and is a former provincial and South African champion.

Mr David Dodkins, who completed his BSc degree in Actuarial and Financial Mathematics, received the Vice‐Chancellor and Principal’s medal for maintaining a weighted average performance (94.8%) during his three years of undergraduate studies. He also won the OUTsurance Prize (For the best performance in third-year BSc Actuarial and Financial Mathematics); Prudential Investment Managers Prize (Best performance in Contingencies); FNB Prize (Best performance in Survival Models), and the STATOMET Prize (Best overall performance in Mathematical Statistics at 300-level. He also obtained the second position on the Dean’s Merit list for third-year students.

Ms L Kwinda (BSc Biological and Agricultural Sciences) was first on the Dean’s List in the BSc Extended Programmes with 86,9%. Mr N Retief (BSc Actuarial and Financial Mathematics) obtained first place in the first-year category with 93,4%. For the second-year student category, Mr M Steynberg (BSc Physics) earned the top spot with 94,67%. Mr J Lakhani (BSc Actuarial and Financial Mathematics) was first on the third-year list with 94,86%, while Mr J Venter (BScAgric Applied and Plant and Soil Sciences) was the best student in the category for fourth-year students with 86,7%.

Watch the virtual event here.

- Author Martie Meyer

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