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Two new deputy deans appointed in the Faculty of AgriSciences
Author: Jorisna Bonthuys
Published: 27/03/2018

​​​Food safety and livestock genetics are the respective focuses of the two new deputy deans recently appointed in the Faculty of AgriSciences of Stellenbosch University (SU).

Award-winning livestock geneticist Prof Kennedy Dzama has been appointed deputy dean responsible for research, innovation and postgraduate studies in the Faculty.   

Prof Dzama holds a doctorate in animal breeding and genetics from the Texas A&M University in the USA. For the last twelve years he has been at SU, and since 2012 he is the chairperson of the Department of Animal Sciences. Prof Dzama heads up the animal breeding and genetics portfolio in the department, with his research focus being on the genomic evaluation of African animal genetic resources. Lately, he has been working on unravelling the genetic architecture of parasite-resistant genotypes of livestock.

Prof Dzama is excited about this brand new position in the Faculty. “Among some of the issues I want to tackle are improving the quality of our research offering, and deepening our collaborations with industry," he said. “We should also play a bigger role beyond our borders, particularly in Africa."

Prof Pieter Gouws has been appointed as the deputy dean for teaching and learning in the Faculty. Prof Gouws, who works in SU's Department of Food Science, is the former head of the department of the University of Western Cape's Department of Biotechnology. He uses biotechnological techniques to improve the microbial safety of food and is considered an expert on listeriosis, among others.

Prof Gouws commented: “The changing context and new challenges facing the higher education sector and society requires that we have to think differently about teaching and learning." He believes the Faculty should strive for an academic culture where teaching and research are intertwined. “We should offer programmes that will be innovative and challenging as well as interdisciplinary in content, with the emphasis on students' learning processes," he said.

Over the next few years, Prof Gouws wants to explore the use of flexible assessment to create blocks of extra teaching time, create opportunities for students to take optional subjects beyond their own discipline, and reduce the credit load per year per programme. He also wants to include critical thinking, ethical reflection and communication skills in the curriculum.