Researchers

Dr Alastair Potts

Affiliation: Department of Botany; African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience (ACCP)

Email Address: alastair.potts@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Phylogeography; Species Distribution Modelling; Statistics; Ecology & Evolution; Palaeoclimate

Description of Research: Dr Potts’ research focuses on various aspects of South African ecology: palaeovegetation distributions; plant phylogeography; drivers of biome boundaries; and Albany Subtropical Thicket ecology. He explores the interface between phylogenetic trees and networks.

Mr Andrew Young

Affiliation: Engineering Director – Marine Robotics Unit (MRU)

Email Address: andrew.young@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Engineering; Marine Robotics

Description of Research: Mr Young's research involves the development of robotics equipment and software for application and deployment in the marine environment.

Professor Brenda Scholtz

Affiliation: Head – Department of Computing Sciences

Email Address: Brenda.Scholtz@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Business Analysis; Information Management & Technology; Sustainability; Information System Management

Description of Research: Professor Scholtz's research focuses on data analysis and business intelligence, with an interest in applications towards environmental sustainability.

Dr Buhle Francis

Affiliation: Senior Researcher, Centre for Post-School Education and Training (CIPSET), Nelson Mandela University

Email Address: buhle.francis@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Ocean governance, livelihoods, gender, natural resources management, climate change, policy, small-scale fisheries, food sovereignty and security.

Description of Research: Dr Francis works at the interface of science and communities, focusing on inclusive ocean governance, gender equity, and climate resilience. She leads the "Learning for the Future" programme, which strengthens food sovereignty and sustainable livelihoods among small-scale fishers and coastal communities.

Mr Callum Anderson

Affiliation: Department of Geosciences

Email Address: callum.anderson@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Paleolimnology; Water Chemistry

Description of Research: Mr Anderson investigates geochemical aspects of microbialite/stromatolite systems, as well as mineralogical, geochemical and structural characteristics of geological features in the Eastern Cape.

Dr Danai Tembo

Affiliation: Department of Development Studies

Email Address: danai.tembo@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Ocean Governance and Security; Science to Policy Transfer; Environmental Education

Description of Research: Dr Tembo's research focuses on the governance of marine living resources (with specific emphasis on the legislation governing these resources and the associated implementation challenges), IUU fishing and the operational synergies with crime, and capacity building in the Western Indian Ocean (WIO) region (with a specific focus on the transfer of science to policy and the associated challenges).

Professor Eileen Campbell

Affiliation: Department of Botany; Curator – Ria Olivier Herbarium at the Department of Botany

Email Address: eileen.campbell@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Coastal Zone Management; Phycology; Sandy Beach Ecology; Vegetation Ecology

Description of Research: Professor Campbell's research investigates the biology and physiology of surf-zone diatoms, the ecology of Bontveld, and conservation. She has an interest in the flora of the Nelson Mandela University Nature Reserve, and in Red Data plants of the Eastern Cape.

Dr Gavin Rishworth

Affiliation: Department of Zoology

Email Address: gavin.rishworth@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Marine Ecology; Ecology & Evolution; Geobiology; Palaeoecology; Stable Isotope Ecology

Description of Research: Dr Rishworth's research considers ecosystem dynamics and features of modern supratidal microbialites compared to analogous extinct habitats. He investigates the functional drivers that promote the formation of these benthic lithified biofilms. He also studies benthic macroinvertebrates and their role in several estuarine and shallow coastal ecosystem services.

Professor Hendrik (Hennie) Van As

Affiliation: Department of Public Law; Director – FishFORCE Academy & Director – Centre for Law in Action under the Faculty of Law

Email Address: hennie.vanas@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Law Enforcement in the Marine Environment; Drafting and Implementation of Legislation; Constitutional Law; Human Rights; Governance

Description of Research: Professor Van As focuses on transnational organised crime in the fisheries industry, access to justice, local government law and ocean governance.

Professor Hervé Fritz

Affiliation: Acting Director – Sustainability Research Unit (SRU)

Email Address: herve.fritz@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Conservation Biology; Invasive Species; Behavioural Ecology; Biodiversity; Climate Change

Description of Research: Professor Fritz focuses on predator-prey interactions, invasive alien plants in coastal fynbos and thicket shrublands, anthropological constraints to social-ecological systems, and environmental research development.

Professor Houdini Fourie

Affiliation: Department of Applied Accounting

Email Address: houdini.fourie@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Audit; Management Audit; Finance Management; Corporate Governance; Financial Accounting

Description of Research: Professor Fourie researches internal auditing, governance, public finance, accounting scholarships and Information Systems Assurance. He is involved in environmental accounting research.

Dr Jan de Vynck

Affiliation: Director – African Centre for Coastal Palaeoscience (ACCP)

Email Address: jan.devynck@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Archaeology; Ichnology; Human Behavioural Ecology; Ethnobotany; Marine Biology

Description of Research: Dr De Vynck's work constitutes human origins research and studying Pleistocene trace fossils in the Cape. He investigates early human existence and interactions with the natural environment.

Professor Janet Cherry

Affiliation: Department of Development Studies

Email Address: janet.cherry@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Political Participation; Sustainable Development

Description of Research: Professor Cherry researches sustainable development, economic and social history, and development policy using Participatory Action Research.

Professor Jean Greyling

Affiliation: Department of Computing Sciences

Email Address: jean.greyling@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Teaching; Programming; Software Development

Description of Research: Professor Greyling's work entails software and programme development and education. He leads student teams in the development of mobile apps and games that introduce coding concepts to learners, using tangible tokens and image recognition.

Dr Jessica Fraser

Affiliation: Business School

Email Address: jessica.fraser@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Operational Management; Logistics; Supply Chain Management

Description of Research: Dr Fraser's work focuses on operations management and logistics and extends into research on supply chain management (including shipping and ports management) integrated with e-business.

Ms Kirstie Eastwood

Affiliation: Department of Statistics

Email Address: kirstie.eastwood@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Mathematical & Applied Statistics; Statistical Modelling & Analysis

Description of Research: Ms Eastwood's research focuses on various aspects of statistical modelling and analysis.

Dr Magda Minguzzi

Affiliation: Department of Architecture

Email Address: magda.minguzzi@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Indigenous Knowledge Systems; Action Research; Community Engagement Projects

Description of Research: Dr Minguzzi's research focus is on tangible and intangible First Indigenous Heritage in the Eastern Cape, and specifically on the fish traps. She conducts research in collaboration with the First Indigenous People of Southern Africa.

Professor Nadine Strydom

Affiliation: Department of Zoology

Email Address: nadine.strydom@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Coastal Fish Ecology; Ichthyoplankton Ecology; Planktology; Biodiversity & Conservation; Fisheries Ecology; Aquatic Pollution

Description of Research: Professor Strydom works on the ecology of coastal fishes with a speciality on the early life history stages, in marine, estuarine and riverine habitats. Emphasis on ecology, reproduction, threats, conservation and management.

Dr Nomtha Hadi

Affiliation: Business School, Lecturer and former Acting CMR Director

Email Address: nomtha.hadi@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Maritime Development; Long Term Strategic Planning

Description of Research: Dr Hadi's work constitutes shipping and ports research, stakeholder analysis and management, integrated strategic planning, and public participation processes. She is also involved in coastal development and municipal planning and performance.

Mr Obakeng Van Dyk

Affiliation: Public Law Department

Email Address: Obakeng.VanDyk@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Administrative Law, Constitutional Law and Maritime Law

Description of Research: Currently researching the intersection between Administrative Law and asepcts of Maritime Law

Professor Pamela Maseko

Affiliation: Dean – Faculty of Humanities

Email Address: pamela.maseko@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Translation Studies; Language Learning; Intercultural Communication

Description of Research: Professor Maseko works towards developing and building partnerships for humanities focused knowledge exchange. She is interested in linking humanities research to ocean sciences.

Professor Paula Melariri

Affiliation: Department of Environmental Health

Email Address: paulaezinne.melariri@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Communicable Diseases; Public Health; Ethnopharmacology

Description of Research: Professor Melariri's expertise field is in Pharmacology, with a focus on disease control using natural and synthesised products. Her current research interests are in the following fields: Neglected Tropical Diseases (NTDs); Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH); influence of WASH and the environment on water quality; waterborne diseases; and nanomaterials and the environment. She is interested in linking environmental health to human health.

Dr Paul-Pierre Steyn

Affiliation: Department of Botany

Email Address: paul.steyn@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Marine Ecology; Macroalgae; Seaweed Mariculture

Description of Research: Dr Steyn's research focuses on macroalgal communities of shallow reefs in the Eastern Cape, and  abalone ranching and seeding. He is involved in environmental impact assessments and management, and botanical and ecological assessments.

Dr Phumelele Gama

Affiliation: Department of Botany

Email Address: phumelele.gama@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Aquatic Plant Ecology; Phytoplankton Ecology

Description of Research: Dr Gama's work entails various aspects of aquatic plant ecology and phytoplankton ecology.

Professor Pierre Pistorius

Affiliation: Manager – Marine Apex Predator Research Unit (MAPRU); Department of Zoology

Email Address: pierre.pistorius@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Marine Top Predators; Conservation Biology; Biodiversity Monitoring; Behavioural Ecology

Description of Research: Professor Pistorius is involved in various aspects of marine apex predator research, including (amongst others): time-activity budgets; foraging ecology; behavioural ecology and linking changes to climate change; improvements to conservation and marine ecosystem management; and habitat preferences.

Professor Ronney Ncwadi

Affiliation: Department of Economics

Email Address: ronney.ncwadi@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Economic Development; Entrepreneurship; Econometric Analysis

Description of Research: Professor Ncwadi's research focus is on Public Finance, small business development, informal sector economics, and applied economics. He is involved in Blue Economy research.

Dr Tanya Wagenaar

Affiliation: Department of Private Law

Email Address: tanya.wagenaar@mandela.ac.za

Research Interest(s): Intellectual Property; Legal Theory; Legal Analysis; Ocean Governance

Description of Research: Ms Wagenaar investigates intellectual property consequences of marine bioprospecting, focusing on the integration of the governance regimes which apply to the main aspects of marine bioprospecting. These include law applicable to biodiversity, the sea and intellectual property rights.