A total of 139 doctoral degrees were awarded on Wednesday (16 March 2016) at Stellenbosch University's (SU) March graduation as part of the 2015 academic year. This brings the number of doctorate for the 2015 academic year to 266, which is the most doctorates ever for an academic year at SU.

In the Faculty of Science, 28 doctoral degrees were awarded for an overall total of 50 for the 2015 academic year. This is the most doctorates to be conferred in the Faculty in an academic year.

With 21 doctorates (39 for 2015 academic year), the Faculty of Engineering wasn't far behind the Faculty of Science. Four of the 21 degrees were obtained by staff members Louis Roodt, André Theron, Isobel Brink en Riaan Combrinck who all received their doctorates in Civil Engineering.

The Faculty of Engineering wasn't the only faculty with new doctorates among its staff. In the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences Bonga Chiliza, Jacques Jason, Eduard Langenegger, and Taryn Young were all awarded doctoral degrees.

Also among the new doctorates was Ronalda Benjamin, a former recipient of a 'Succeeding Against the Odds' scholarship. She obtained her doctorate in Mathematics and is currently a lecturer in the Department of Mathematics as part of the Department of Higher Education and Training's New Generation of Academics Programme (nGAP).

A former pupil of Breërivier High School in Worcester, Ronalda grew up in area known for gang violence and drug-related crimes. She is the first one in her family to attend university despite the financial difficulties they faced.

"It really is a wonderful feeling of pride and gratitude to have finished this PhD journey. I am also grateful to everyone who encouraged me when I got 'tired'", says Ronalda.

She encouraged young people facing difficult circumstances never to succumb to these conditions but rather to work hard, to persevere, and to always give their best.

Ronalda says she plans to visit the University of Leiden in the Netherlands during the second semester.

At the same ceremony, Prof Helmut Prodinger received a Doctor of Science (DSc) degree for his significant contribution to the analysis of approximate counting over several decades. Approximate counting is a classical technique in computer science to handle large quantities of data with limited capacities.

The Doctor of Science degree follows after a PhD and is awarded for published work of an exceptional standard, containing original contributions to the advancement of knowledge and learning which has given the candidate international distinction in their field.

Prodinger was also awarded a Chancellor's Medal for Research at the ceremony.

At Wednesday afternoon's ceremony for the Faculties of Arts and Social Sciences, Education, Theology, Law, and Medicine and Health Sciences, Dr Eugene Fortein counted among the 91 candidates who received their well-earned doctoral degrees.

Fortein, originally from Cloetesville in Stellenbosch, described his PhD in Theology as a true blessing. "I am so excited and honoured."

He is currently a minister at a VGK church (United Reformed Church) in Citrusdal, but said, for now, he just plans on savouring his academic achievement before making more plans for the future.

His mom, Mrs Jennifer Fortein, who has been working at SU's Faculty of Theology since 2001, said she couldn't be prouder of her son. "The two of us always had a special bond," she said. "We've had some tough times over the years, but we pulled through and today we can just be grateful. We never stopped believing," she added.

• Photo: Ronalda Benjamin, Jennifer and Eugene Fortein, and staff members in Faculty of Engineering after the graduation ceremony.
  
• Photographer: Stefan Els