GEORGE NEWS - Among the Nelson Mandela University graduates were Cerneels Coetzee (56), the first person to be awarded a doctorate in the Faculty of Business and Economic Sciences at a George Campus ceremony, under the supervision of Prof Madele Tait.
Previously, doctorates were handed over at the faculty ceremony in Gqeberha.
Coetzee, a lecturer and consultant in business management, researched the customer relationship practices and online servicescape (interaction between customers and employees) for an unsought business, such as a funeral home.
According to Coetzee, his research topic, including the construction of a functional online servicescape, is largely unresearched in academia. "I always envisioned my doctoral study to be the crowning glory of my career. It was a life goal, but also related to career advancement in higher education. And it really lived up to the crowning glory aspect of it," he said.
Phozisa Dlokweni, who hails from Ngqeleni, Eastern Cape, obtained her master's degree in forestry, a field she pursued from the influence of her father, who was a forestry contractor, and her uncle, who was a forester.
She is currently an intern at the University of Pretoria, in the Forestry and Agricultural Biotechnology Institute (Fabi), employed as a field extension officer.
"My supervisor, Dr Muedanyi Ramantswana, has been my role model and encouraged me to work hard and be dedicated," she said. "The experience gained at the university during my internship and research at training provider MTO Cape, has augmented my academic journey as a life-changing experience that I will forever cherish."
Couple share PhD graduation
Married couple Emily (30) and Samantha McCulloch-Jones (36) were ecstatic to share their graduation, both obtaining doctorates in nature conservation at the campus.
Emily is known as "the fern lady" because her research focused on invasion biology and particularly alien ferns, their ecology, and global distribution. She also focused on how trade influences their invasion potential as well as them being a source of introduction of alien species.
For her PhD, Samantha worked with governance, looking at landscape scale conservation initiatives on the west coast of South Africa and the transfer of knowledge between conservation entities.
"Being able to complete our studies side by side after having walked this PhD journey together, with all of its ups and downs, has been the most incredible and fulfilling experience. We hope to make women in science proud and work together towards bridging the gap between science and practice to facilitate the shift towards an environmentally conscious future in South Africa," they said.
Related article: NMU students capped in 2022 graduation
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