Prof Ambroise Wonkam wins the 2020 Alan Pifer Award

06 December 2021 | Director Michael van Ryneveld. Videography and video edit Ryno Productions. Photo Je’nine May.

Professor Ambroise Wonkam, the director of Genetic Medicine of African Populations in recognition of his work in describing novel variant genes relevant for congenital hearing impairment in populations of African ancestry; his discovery of gene variants that affect long-term survival in Sickle Cell Disease in Africa; and his introduction of prenatal genetic diagnosis for Sickle Cell Disease in both Cameroon and Cape Town, thus increasing reproductive options for at-risk parents, has been recognised with the prestigious 2020 University of Cape Town (UCT) Alan Pifer Award.

Follow the celebration on YouTube and Twitter via #UCTAwards2021.

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UCT Annual Awards 2021

On Monday, 6 December, Vice-Chancellor Professor Mamokgethi Phakeng hosted the UCT Annual Awards 2021, which serve to honour and celebrate exceptional individuals at UCT for their contributions through excellence and dedication in research, teaching and service.

The celebration acknowledges staff receiving Long Service Awards and the recipients of the Distinguished Teacher Award, the Alan Pifer Research Award and the Vice-Chancellor’s Awards for Excellence. The evening also recognises those staff members who have received ad hominem promotions this year.

The UCT Annual Awards 2021 event premiered on this page, as well as on UCT’s social media channels, from 18:00 to 19:30 on Monday, 6 December 2021. The ceremony recording and individual video segments are now available on this page, along with written stories about some of the award winners.

The Vice-Chancellor’s Excellence Awards

There is an appreciation from the Vice-Chancellors’ Excellence Awards committee that teamwork, collective action, collaboration and leadership have contributed towards the health and wellbeing of colleagues and ensured the sustainability of the university. Awards are made in the three categories: global citizenship, service excellence and transformation.

News Transforming society through theatre

The Baxter Theatre Centre is the winner of the Vice-Chancellor’s Transformation Award.

06 Dec 2021 - 7 min read

News UCT Libraries recognised in VC’s Service Excellence Awards

UCT Libraries are being recognised for their role in ensuring that the UCT community has had uninterrupted access to learning materials throughout the pandemic.

06 Dec 2021 - 8 min read

News Health Sciences Faculty Research Office receives VC Service Excellence Award

The exceptional commitment of UCT’s Health Sciences Faculty Research Office received acknowledgement when it won the Vice-Chancellor’s Service Excellence Award.

06 Dec 2021 - 5 min read

News VC’s Global Citizenship award for SGBV work

Anne Isaac, the project manager of UCT’s Tribunal for Sexual and Gender-Based Violence, has won a Vice-Chancellor’s Global Citizenship Award for her work in countering SGBV.

06 Dec 2021 - 10 min read

News Liesl Hermanus dedicates Global Citizenship Award to ‘formidable’ team

For her outstanding work in service of the Hanover Park community, Liesl Hermanus has received the 2021 UCT Vice-Chancellor’s Global Citizenship Award.

06 Dec 2021 - 9 min read

Distinguished Teacher Award

The Distinguished Teacher Award is the highest accolade awarded to teaching staff at all levels within the university. Through the award, the University of Cape Town acknowledges the primary place of teaching and learning in the university’s work.

‘Teach disagreement in a consensus-ridden climate’

The primary task of a history teacher is to encourage disagreement in a consensus-ridden climate, said DTA winner Dr Bodhisattva Kar.

29 Sep 2021 - 10 min read

‘Teaching is a civic duty’

For his versatile, flexible and creative approach to teaching and learning, UCT has honoured Dr Marlon Swai with a Distinguished Teacher Award.

29 Sep 2021 - 7 min read

Alan Pifer Award

This award is the vice-chancellor’s annual prize in recognition of outstanding welfare-related research. It highlights UCT's strategic goal of promoting socially responsive research, and honours a UCT researcher whose outreach work has contributed to the advancement and welfare of South Africa’s disadvantaged people.

Alan Pifer Award: A hat-tip to geneticist Professor Ambroise Wonkam

UCT’s Prof Ambroise Wonkam is one of two recipients of the 2020 Alan Pifer Award.

03 Aug 2021 - 7 min read

Prestigious Alan Pifer Award for Professor Cathy Ward

Growing up during apartheid, Professor Cathy Ward became aware of the systemic nature of violence in South Africa and its devastating effects on society at a young age.

14 Jul 2021 - 6 min read

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