Celebrating excellence at the 2023 UCT Annual Staff Awards

Dear colleagues and students

The University of Cape Town (UCT) honoured and celebrated outstanding staff at the 2023 UCT Annual Staff Awards on 23 November 2023. The evening was dedicated to recognising colleagues who have contributed significantly to UCT over the years, and have made outstanding achievements.

The awards bring under one roof professional, administrative, and support service (PASS) staff; and academic, technical and research staff in a memorable evening of celebrating excellence. Awards were presented in categories that included ad hominem promotions, long service, and the Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Awards. This year, altogether eight award categories were included in the proceedings, over and above the traditional category of long service awards.

While we honoured and celebrated just over 500 PASS and academic staff on the evening, we are conscious of the fact that many more hardworking staff members selflessly dedicate their time and lives to the service of UCT. Our university owes these colleagues a profound debt of gratitude and appreciation for their dedication to ensuring that UCT remains the best university in and for Africa, and among the best in the world. 

We honoured 241 recipients of UCT’s Long Service Award. These colleagues have served UCT with dedication for 15, 25, 35 and some even for 45 years. We also celebrated 130 technical and research staff, and those promoted to the ranks of associate professor and professor.

The award recipients in the various categories are:

• VC’s Service Excellence Award - Ms Stella Musungu, Student Capacity Building Specialist in the Office for Inclusivity & Change.
• VC’s Global Citizen Award – Centre for Theatre, Dance and Performance Studies in the Faculty of Humanities, for the youth dance initiative established with the New World Dance Theatre.
• VC’s Transformation Award – Humanities Learning Support Unit for the development of the Khanyisa project.
• 2022 UCT Book Prize – Professor Dan Stein, “Problems of Living: Perspectives from Philosophy, Psychiatry, and Cognitive-Affective Sciences.”
• 2023 UCT Book Prize – Dr Mignonne Breier, “Bloody Sunday: The nun, the Defiance Campaign and South Africa’s secret massacre.”
• 2023 Meritorious Book Award Prize – Associate Professor Barbara Boswell, “And Wrote My Story Anyway: Black South African Women’s Novels as Feminism.” 
• 2023 Creative Works Award – Ms Lara Foot for her multi-layered theatre production, “Life & Times of Michael K.”
• 2023 Meritorious Creative Works Prizes – Associate Professor Jean Brundrit for his solo exhibition and artist’s book: “Over the horizon”; Dr Duane Jethro and Jade Nair for their curated memorial exhibition project including physical exhibition, digital exhibition, publication and teaching: “Of Smoke & Ash: The Jagger Library Memorial Exhibition”.
• 2023 Fellowship Awards – Professor Wendy Burgers, Department of Pathology; Professor Tom Moultrie, Centre for Actuarial Research; Professor Thomas Scriba, Department of Pathology; and Professor Liesl Zuhlke, Department of Paediatrics and Child Health. 
• 2022 Social Responsiveness Award – Mr Clint Abrahams, Architecture, Planning & Geomatics, Faculty of Engineering & the Built Environment.
• UCT President of Convocation Medal – Ms Wendy Ackerman, and Ms Naadiya Moosajee.

On behalf of the university’s executive, I warmly congratulate all the award recipients. I extend sincere thanks to all those who were involved in what turned out to be a wonderfully successful event which has become a highlight in the UCT calendar.

Thank you, enkosi, re a leboga, siyabonga, rho livhuwa, ha khensa, dankie!

• Read more on the 2023 UCT Annual Staff Awards feature page.

Sincerely

Emer Prof Daya Reddy
Vice-Chancellor interim

Read previous communications:

• From the UCT Executive
• Campus Announcements