2011-NMMU-Research-Report - Research Management - Nelson ...

Dr Mathabo Khau
Dr Mathabo Khau joined the Faculty of Education as postdoctoral
fellow to the HIV and AIDS Education Research Chair at the beginning
of 2011.
Before pursuing further studies, she was a Science teacher and subject
advisor in Lesotho where she was involved in curriculum design and
development. She was also a national external examiner for Junior
Certificate Science (Grade 10). She completed her PhD study Women
teachers talk sex: A gendered analysis of women teachers’ experiences
of teaching sexuality education in rural schools in the age of HIV and
AIDS, at UKZN. She employs participatory and visual methodologies
in her research, which focuses on gender, sexuality, HIV and AIDS in
Education. She is interested in sexual health and reproductive rights
in relation to culture and religion. Since taking up her postdoctoral
fellowship she has had two publications in 2011 and four publications
forthcoming in 2012 (Perspectives in Education, International Journal
of Qualitative Methods, Sex Education, and a chapter in a book,
Was it something I wore?). As part of her postdoctoral work she has
also embarked on a new study Sexual identities and HIV & AIDS:
An exploration of international students’ experiences within a South
African university. She will be presenting papers based on this study at
international and local conferences in 2012. She is also collaborating
with Linkoping University in Sweden on a gender and sexuality
sensitisation project called "The Female Body", which will be based
in rural Lesotho. Her success in 2011 has prompted an invitation to
continue her postdoctoral fellowship in 2012.
Emerging Researchers
Renewable Energy
Dr Russell Phillips
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Dr Russell Phillips focuses on renewable energy. He works with the
wind energy research group, essentially in what may be regarded
as applied engineering.
“Problem solving around renewable energy is what this country
needs,” he says. This area of research is vibrant and boundaries
are always pushed, and new ideas tested. Dr Phillips is looking at
recruiting students, especially those with a technological orientation,
and having an understanding of wind energy and hydropower.
He is wedded to the idea of producing renewable energy at a
reasonable price.
He is busy on a project of trackers for solar panels. He patented the
”wind turbine”, and is researching Concentrated Solar Power (CSP) -
working in this area with BTech students who tend to be technologically
inclined. Some of the approaches they use involves heating the air, and
storing it in the pebble bed.
“Problem solving around renewable
energy is what this country needs," says
Dr Phillips.
He is enabled by the fact that the Dean of the Faculty is supportive,
and is “pro green energy”.
He is currently collaborating with German universities on the Solar
Car Project. The future is beckoning in terms of renewable energy
research. This is a fast growing field, and will serve as a niche area
in terms of his own future research plans.