RSC South Africa North Local Section

Winner: 2024 Inspirational Committee Award

For proactively diversifying the committee to represent their membership community.

Celebrate RSC South Africa North Local Section

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Pre-COVID, the RSC Local Section South Africa North committee consisted of members from Johannesburg and Pretoria, as committee meetings were all held face-to-face. This limited the involvement of members from other provinces within the local section. With the move to online meetings during the pandemic, the committee initiated the inclusion of RSC members from Durban. A number of early career chemists from a range of institutions (from academia and industry) were also encouraged to join as part of the committee’s succession planning. It has maintained online meetings, with one face-to-face meeting each year.

This vibrant, diverse committee has nine members, spanning academia and industry across a wide geographical area of over 600 km. It represents members across all career stages, from early career researchers to retired professionals. This richness in perspectives includes individuals from various backgrounds, encompassing Black, mixed heritage, and White members of diverse genders. This ensures effective engagement with a wide range of chemists in South Africa so that everyone feels included in its activities and part of the chemistry community.

The RSC Local Section South Africa North committee serves local RSC members and the broader chemistry community in South Africa via a range of activities and provides support for postgraduate student events. Committee members each champion a specific event (for example, a face-to-face or online public lecture) or project, such as the production of branded, laminated, pocket-sized periodic tables for widespread distribution to students and schoolchildren.

It is wonderfully rewarding to receive recognition for our contributions as RSC volunteers.

The team

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Ian Bratt, Committee Member, Retired

Patricia Forbes, Chairperson/ Professor & Research Chair, University of Pretoria

Alida-Louise Henning, Treasurer/ Senior Chemist, Impala Platinum Ltd - Refineries

Amanda-Lee Manicum, Committee Member/ Lecturer, Tshwane University of Technology

Bice Martincigh, Committee Member/ Professor, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Sadhna Mathura, Committee Member/ Senior Lecturer, University of the Witwatersrand

Vincent Nyamori, Committee Member/ Professor, University of KwaZulu-Natal

Lynne Pilcher, Secretary/Associate Professor, University of Pretoria

Thishana Singh , Committee Member/ Senior Lecturer, University of KwaZulu-Natal

It was the encouragement of previous committee members reaching out with a view to passing the baton that made me consider volunteering with the RSC. I had seen the impact the committee’s activities had on our local chemistry community, and it was good to be invited to play a part.

I volunteered with the RSC in order to represent KwaZulu Natal on the RSC South Africa North committee so that I can promote chemistry across the province.

Chairing the RSC Local Section South Africa North and representing the International Local Sections on the RSC Member Networks Committee has been an excellent opportunity to broaden my scientific networks and to engage with like-minded chemistry volunteers from around the world.

Being involved in various roles as an active RSC member has significantly promoted my career, giving me great exposure and the opportunity to share my contributions while learning skills from other scientists and hands-on experiences from organising scientific events.

It is a very rewarding experience for professional development as well as for the development of others through the promotion of chemistry in the community.

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