Science is taking centerstage at Nelson Mandela University (NMU) with a host of academics being nominated to attend, present and potentially walk away with silverware at two prestigious awards in the field.
In a showcase of science communication, Lutho Lange emerged as the 2025 FameLab SA regional heat winner, impressing judges and audiences with her compelling research into nanotechnology and cancer treatment.
Lange will now head to the FameLab SA semifinals which will be held in Pretoria later this year and could potentially be flown to Switzerland to compete internationally.
This, as four other esteemed NMU employees were named among the finalists of the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) Awards widely known as ‘SA’s Science Oscars’ which has been hosted annually for more than two decades.
NMU Centre for Community Technologies (CCT) director Prof Darelle van Greunen is among the finalists and has been recognised in the science diplomacy for Africa award category.
The other finalists are Centre for Research in Information and Cyber Security (CRICS) director and IT lecturer Prof Kerry-Lynn Thomson, is nominated in the communication award category while mechanical engineering department principal lecturer Karl du Preez is a finalist in the engineering research capacity development category.
While Indigenous Knowledge System of the Built Environment Unit-IKSBEU associate professor and leader Prof Magda Minguzzi, from the school of architecture, was nominated in the category TW Kambule-NSTF award researcher.
Lange, a final year MSc student in the pharmacy department under the department of science and innovation (DSI)-nanomedicine platform, was tasked with explaining her work to the public, in just three minutes.
Her journey into scientific exploration began during her final undergraduate year, with her mini-thesis, Nanotechnology in cancer treatment.
“I became interested in nanotechnology, but then saw the huge gap in cancer treatment,” she said.
“And because my family has a history of cancer, I felt like this was something I could truly pursue.”
The research delves into innovative nanomedical approaches to make cancer treatment more targeted, accessible, and cost effective, not just for patients but also for healthcare systems.
“There’s great difficulty in cancer management,” she said.
“Governments spend huge amounts of money, so the easier and more accessible, we make treatment, the better for everyone.”
She described her win as a deeply emotional moment.
“I am so excited.
“I prayed about this, I worked hard and look at what happened!
“I’m just grateful to my community, my entire family everyone who supported me.”
Van Greunen, whose work is guided by the philosophy of “In Africa, for Africa, by Africans”, said the nomination was both exciting and humbling.
“It’s not about me. It’s about the team.
“And this recognition proves that our work matters not just in SA, but across the whole continent.
“I get paid to live my passion. I love taking science and turning it into something meaningful for everyone. We ensure that even the most complex scientific ideas are expressed in a language that everyone can understand,” she said.
Thomson, and her CRICS team, have been nominated for their efforts to bring science and technology to the broader public.
“We’ve communicated various aspects of cybersecurity, not just to pupils and students, but to society at large.
“It’s about helping people stay safe online.
“Just being shortlisted felt surreal, becoming a finalist was more than we hoped for.
“We’re incredibly excited and proud, there’s tough competition, but we’re holding thumbs for all the NMU nominees,” she said.
Du Preez, who founded and continues to lead a specialised engineering unit that has been running for over 22 years, said he applied on behalf of his unit in recognition of the work done across multiple projects.
“We’ve seen students come in as interns and eventually become PhD scholars or full-time academics,” he said.
“We create an environment where students learn while they play with technology.
“They don’t even realise they’re learning sometimes, it’s that immersive.”
Minguzzi was nominated for her ground-breaking research, on indigenous knowledge systems (IKS) and Indigenous living heritage, conducted in partnership with the Khoisan peoples.
“I perceive my work as an enriching journey, allowing me the honour of engaging and collaborating with remarkable individuals, such as the First Nations of SA.
“Together we document their tangible and intangible heritage and I facilitate the re write of their “story”, from their viewpoint.
“I will always be grateful to those who trust me to walk this journey with them.
“I feel extremely honoured and humbled and thrilled at the same time.
“This nomination tells us that we’re walking the right path,” Minguzzi said.
The 2025 NSTF-South32 Awards gala dinner will be held on July 31.
The Herald
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