Short Bio

Education

• PhD (Chemical Engineering), Stellenbosch University, 2010
• MSc (Agricultural Engineering – Postharvest), McGill University, 1997
• BSc (Agriculture- Agric. Engineering) with Distinction, University of Malawi, 1992

Professional experience

2014 – Present: Full Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Stellenbosch University
2008 – 2014: Lecturer, Department of Chemical Engineering, Stellenbosch University
2001 – 2005: Project Manager, Environmental Monitoring Group (EMG), Cape Town
1993 – 2000: Lecturer, Department of Agricultural Engineering, University of Malawi
1992 – 1993: Assistant Manager/ Management Trainee Technical Department – Agribusiness Section, Lever Brothers Malawi Limited Unilever, Malawi

Part time

2003 – 2005: Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation (PME) Consultant C Masters Development Services (CMDS) professional services, Cape Town
May – Sept 2005: African Facilitator/Coordinator, Sustainability Watch Network, Kampala, Uganda
10 – 12 Feb 2005: Consultant Facilitator, Yonge Nawe Environmental Action Group, Mbabane, Swaziland
15 – 19 March 2004: Local Consultant, Mid-Term Evaluation for USAID Funded Girls in the Vanguard (GIV) Salesian Project Office in Southern Africa, Cape Town

Special Awards/Grants

2025: C1 NRF Rated Researcher
2015: Australian African Award, University of Sydney
2014: Rector’s Award General Performance (Stellenbosch)
2008: South African National Energy Research Institute (SANERI) Bursary
2007: Centre for Renewable and Sustainable Energy Studies (CRSES) Bursary.
2007: The Knut and Kringstad Award for Best Poster Presentation 14thISWFPC
2006: Andrew Mellons Fellowship, Stellenbosch University
2006: Department of Chemical Engineering Bursary, Stellenbosch University
2006: Engineering Women in Science Award, Department of Science and Technology
2006: Postgraduate Merit Bursary for Foreign Students at Stellenbosch University

National & International Responsibilities

• Associate Editor for Biomass and Bioenergy
• Guest Editor for Special Issues in Circular Bioeconomy
• Executive Guest Editor for Sustainable Bioenergy and Processes
• Editorial Board Member for the Carbohydrates Polymer Journal
• Editorial Board Member for the Carbohydrate Polymers Journal
• Board Member: Agricultural Engineering Program, Fort Cox, Fort Cox Agriculture And Forestry Training Institute.
• Mentor in the Biofuel Fellowship Program, Global Biofuels Alliance (GBA)
• Member of the expert group for DECC – Climate-KIC Global Calculator Expert Workshop (Land Use, Bioenergy, Food), Imperial College, UK
• Invited guest lecturer and Researcher at the University of Campinas and the University of Manchester
• External examiner for postgraduate theses
• Grant proposal reviewer locally and internationally
• Curriculum Advisory Committee Member for the Agricultural Engineering Programme at Fort Cox, Fort Cox Agriculture and Forestry Training Institute

Professional Affiliations

• South African Council of Natural Scientific Profession (SACNASP)
• American Society of Agricultural and Biological Engineers (ASABE)
• Organisation for Women in Science for The Developing World (OWSD)
• South African Institute of Forestry (SAIF)
• Leadership for Environment and Development (LEAD)
• Systems Dynamics Society (SDS)

International & Local Collaborations & Associations

• Howard University, USA
• Malawi University of Science and Technology (MUST)
• Aston University

Previous Collaborations

• Supergen, University of Manchester (United Kingdom)
• Newcastle University (United Kingdom)
• Kwame Nkrumah University of Technology (Ghana)
• Njala University (Sierra Leone)
• Jomo Kenyatta University of Technology (Kenya)
• University of KwaZulu Natal (South Africa)
• University of Venda (South Africa)
• Ensiacet, Toulouse (France)
• Fibre and Paper Institute (Norway)
• Bioenergy – LACAf – University of Campinas (Brazil)
• Dartmouth University (USA)

Research Interests

Biobased materials, bioprocess engineering, circular economy, lignocellulose processing, bioplastics, biorefinery development, biomaterials, nanomaterials, biocompoites, nanocellulose, sustainable bioenergy systems, food security, modified/controlled atmosphere storage, active packaging; agro-processing, enzyme production and application, life-cycle and sustainability assessments, environmental engineering, system dynamics

Current Projects

2026 – 2028: Blueprinting material circularity in agriculture (Co-I- Lead WP 4)
2026 – 2028: PAMSA: Green solvents for the valorisation of pulp and paper waste streams to advance a circular bioeconomy (PI)
2025 – 2027: ReGenWine – Regeneration agriculture in vineyards, which assesses how the five principles of regenerative agriculture impact soil health, vine performance, wine quality, and economic viability. It aims to support circular economy goals in vineyards and identify regenerative practices for future adoption across the wine industry (Co-I- Lead WP4)
2025 – 2027: PAMSA: Modifying and functionalizing fibres recovered from pulp and paper mill waste streams into biomaterials with advanced functionalities.
2025 – 2027: PAMSA: The development of lignin-starch-based films for packaging applications
2024 – 2026: PAMSA: Material Circularity in the pulp and paper industry - Promoting material circularity in the pulp and paper mill through the formulation of functionalized organic-inorganic cellulosic composites using lignosulfonates and titanium dioxide (PI)
2024 – 2026: PAMSA: Material Circularity in the pulp and paper industry - through the formulation of functionalized organic-inorganic cellulosic composites using acetic acid and calcium carbonate. (PI)
2023 – 2026: GRAPE4GREEN PROJECT: A systemic review to evaluate circularity in the grape and wine industry and identify prospects and strategies (Co-I)

Previous Projects

2023 – 2025: PAMDEV-FIBRE CIRCLE: Sustainable Packaging
2021 – 2023: PAMSA: Development of Tier 3 Emission factors for pulp and paper mills
2021 – 2025: Malawi University of Technology (MUST) and Center for Agricultural Transformation (CAT) in Malawi
2020 – 2022: PAMSA: Recovery and functionalisation of cellulosic fibres from pulp and paper mill waste streams
2019 – 2022: Production of bioplastics from waste cassava using biological pathways in collaboration with School of Engineering and Applied Science at Aston University in UK
2019 – 2022: Factors influencing the formation, fate and transport of microplastic in marine coastal ecosystems SANOCEAN programme
2019 – 2020: Cellulose-nanoparticles as reinforcements and fillers in biocomposites for production of low-density packaging materials PAMSA PROGRAME (Role: PI)- Outcome: Method for dispersing nanocellulose in LDPE based biocomposites
2018 – 2020: Southern African Systems Analysis Centre/ British Council Newton Funding (Host Supervisor) X 2
2016 – 2020: OWSD PhD Fellowship programme
2016 – 2018: Organic waste: A bioresource for production of novel cellulose nanocomposites- CSIR/DST
2016 – 2017: Nanocellulose from Paper Sludge (PAMSA)
2014 – 2017: Inulin biorefinery for sustainable food production from Jerusalem artichoke, Research and Technology fund (RTF), NRF
2014 – 2016: Postharvest technology for sustainable livelihoods of small fresh produce producers in South Africa, Research and Technology fund (RTF), NRF
2014 – 2016: Norway/South Africa SANCOOP Programme-Biorefineries for co-production of high value materials and bio-energy, as mitigation of climate change (BioCoPro)
2013 – 2015: Energy Efficient Rural Food Processing Utilising Renewable Energy to Improve Rural Livelihoods (New Castle University, Knust (Ghana), Njala University, (Sierra Leone), Jommo Kenyatta University (Kenya), Practical action (UK), Environmental Foundation for Africa (EFA), Sierra Leone and Kassel University

Student Supervision

Current: 9 students (5 PhDs, 4 MEng) and 1 Postdoctoral Researcher
Graduated: 39 Students (10 PhD, 29 Master’s students)

Selected Publications

A list of other published works can be found on her Google Scholar profile.

Teaching

Current:
Heat Transfer A326
Environmental Engineering 442

Previously:
Laboratory practicals (ChemEng D316)
Pilot plant practicals (ChemEng D356)
Particle Technology (PT316)
Biology 324
Environmental Engineering 454