Rhodes Proud of Distinguished Woman Scientist
The L’ORÉAL-UNESCO Awards for Woman in Science took place in Paris on 5 March 2009. An impressive institutional photo exhibit that celebrates and recognises the ground breaking achievements of the Laureates is on display in the Paris-area airports during the months of March and April. 15 million people from around the world will see these beautiful portraits taken by Micheline Pelletier.
The award ceremony was attended by Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor, Dr Badat. South African Government officials such as the Ambassadors, the South African delegation to UNESCO and senior officials of the Department of Science and Technology also attended this prestigious award ceremony.
Dr Peter Clayton, Deputy-Vice Chancellor of Research and Development at Rhodes University said that, “having her personality at Rhodes contributes to an intellectual tone that is the envy of many, one of love of knowledge, high standards, and hard work. She literally oozes passion for science – doing it, teaching it, promoting it, financing it, and applying it.”
He further stated that, “This is wonderful international recognition of one of Africa's scientists. It demonstrates that researchers on the African continent, with all of our developmental challenges, can rise to international standing, even in a field as technically rigorous and internationally competitive as Medicinal Chemistry.”
The Laureates, who work across the spectrum of the Physical Sciences, were chosen on the basis of their groundbreaking achievements and potential contributions to scientific progress. Nyokong received the L’ORÉAL-UNESCO award for her work on harnessing light for cancer therapy and environmental clean-up.
Professor Nyokong, DST/NRF Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Nanotechnology at Rhodes University, Director of the DST/Mintek Nanotechnology Innovation Centre (Sensors), is the Africa-Arab States Laureate for 2009.
Nyokong is a model of research success that even established researchers can learn from. Her research group is amongst the biggest and most productive around. It is also extremely international, diverse in culture, and widely respected.
Through her international reputation, Professor Nyokong has contributed considerably to enhancing the reputation of South African science. She has undertaken formal international collaborations with counterparts in France, Russia, China, UK, Belgium, Japan, Germany, Chile, and has recently been awarded a prestigious Adjunct Professorship by the University of Tromso in Norway.
In the past, Professor Nyokong has been awarded the Order of Mapungbwe: Bronze by the President of the Republic of South Africa, His Excellency Mr Thabo Mbeki (2005), the Rhodes University Vice-Chancellor’s distinguished research award (2003), the Shoprite/Checkers Woman of the year (2004), and the Fulbright Scholarship (University of Notre Dame, USA, 1990).
Despite her hectic schedule of research and travel, Professor Nyokong invests a huge amount of time in capacity building young scientists. She is a supreme role model and has been extensively involved in assisting staff and students from less advantaged universities.
