The 21st symposium of the Nematological Society of Southern Africa was recently held in Ballito, KwaZulu-Natal, with the theme "Adapting to a changing environment". The symposium was attended by 103 nematologists from around the world, including ten students and researchers from the Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology of Stellenbosch University, who all had the opportunity to present their work. These researchers were, Antoinette Malan, Jenna Ross, Caro Kapp, Nomakholwa Stokwe, Nicholas Kagimu, Deidré Odendaal, Agil Katumanyane, Annika Pieterse, Fisayo Daramola and Maryna Odendaal.
Delegates at the symposium were asked to vote for researchers who they believed gave the best presentations. At the gala dinner on the last evening of the symposium, it was then announced that three PhD students from SU were among the winners for best oral presentation. Deidré Odendaal and Annika Pieterse shared second prize for their oral presentations, while Nicholas Kagimu won third best paper presentation. Caro Kapp, also a PhD student, was the sole recipient of the George Martin memorial scholarship, a scholarship awarded annually by the NSSA to promote Nematology in Southern Africa.
Dr Antoinette Malan and Dr Jenna Ross act as co-authors for five chapters in a new book which was also launched at the gala dinner. The book, titled "Nematology in South Africa: A View from the 21st Century" has 26 chapters and includes an up-to-date summary of the achievements made in the field of Nematology in South Africa.
