UCT academics’ excellence recognised by ASSAf

Dear colleagues and students

It is with pride that I share with the University of Cape Town (UCT) community the great news of the induction of nine distinguished academics, researchers and scholars into the Academy of Science of South Africa (ASSAf).

The nine colleagues were inducted as new members at the ASSAf annual awards ceremony on 30 October 2025 as part of a group of 45 exceptional scholars and scientists – making UCT account for 20% of the 2025 inductees.

Their induction into ASSAf is both a moment of deep pride and a reflection of the excellence that has long been the hallmark of UCT. ASSAf recognises and celebrates scholarly excellence, and as a university we are immensely proud that our scholars have been inducted into the South African scientific vanguard.

ASSAf represents the highest ideals of scholarly integrity and social responsibility. By joining its ranks, our colleagues have extended UCT’s influence into the very heart of the national scientific community. Their induction is a reminder that our excellence is not measured only by rankings or outputs, but by the depth of our impact – on people, on policy and on the planet.

Join me in congratulating the following colleagues:

Professor Adam Haupt
Professor Haupt is the director of the Centre for Film and Media Studies. He has immensely contributed to the industry, particularly to the hip-hop genre. His scholarship brings UCT’s excellence in the humanities into dialogue with pressing questions of identity, justice and representation.

Professor Andrea Rother
Professor Rother is the head of the Environmental Health Division and associate professor in the School of Public Health and Family Medicine. Her leadership in environmental health continues to remind us that the well-being of people cannot be separated from that of the planet.

Professor Imraan Coovadia
Professor Coovadia, the director at the Centre of Creative Writing, is a respected scholar, thinker and writer whose creative and academic pursuits bridge the imaginative and the intellectual. He is a B-rated National Research Foundation researcher who has written for some of the biggest publications.

Professor John Ele-Ojo Ataguba
He is an adjunct professor at UCT, the Canada Research Chair in Health Economics at the University of Manitoba, and an extraordinary professor at the University of Pretoria. His research examines the link between health, poverty and well-being. He is a respected health economist.

Professor Lucy Gilson
Professor Gilson stands at the intersection of health systems and humanity. Along with her leadership as the head of the Health Policy and Systems Division at UCT, she is also the professor of Health Policy and Systems at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Her scholarship embodies the spirit of global citizenship grounded in African realities.

Professor Michael Claeys
He is a professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering. His leadership in the Catalysis Institute showcases UCT’s strength as a global hub of multidisciplinary, solutions-driven research.

Professor Tom Moultrie
Professor Moultrie is a professor of demography. Through his work, he has given voice to South Africa’s population through data and insight. In 2023, he was elected as UCT Fellow.

Professor Ursula Hoadley
A leader in curriculum studies, Professor Hoadley challenges us to rethink how and what we teach. Her scholarship reflects UCT’s unwavering commitment to transformation in education, ensuring that teaching remains a tool of empowerment and equality.

Associate Professor Zarina Patel
As an associate professor of Human Geography, her work captures the heartbeat of cities in transformation. Through her leadership in the Faculty of Science, where she is the deputy dean for research, she reminds us that cities and universities can be engines of inclusion and transformation.

We are extremely proud of these bright minds who continue to raise the bar. Not only do they impart their knowledge to their students, but they continue making an impact and adding to the sea of knowledge in their respective fields through their scholarly work.

Such milestones as being inducted into ASSAf and other prestigious professional bodies immensely contribute to UCT being the world-class university that it is today. This is the latest affirmation that UCT remains a spring of scientific, creative and intellectual contributions for South Africa, for Africa, and for the world.

Once again, congratulations to all the colleagues for their profound recognition and induction into ASSAf.

Sincerely

Professor Mosa Moshabela
Vice-Chancellor