Ocean Womxn
2020
Meet our inaugural cohort of talented black womxn.
Thando Mazomba
Thando is a Msc Applied Ocean Sciences candidate, focussing on linking biological processes with oceanographic processes, particularly in the Southern Ocean. Thando aims to achieve a fully holistic approach to conservation, using knowledge from hard science to supplement tangible solutions for everyday citizens that feel the impact of limited resources the most. She is committed to contributing toward setting an example for womxn in science – breaking barriers in every activity she engages with.
Faith February
Faith is a Ph.D. candidate in Ocean and Atmosphere Science at the University of Cape Town. Her research focuses on characterising atmospheric aerosols in False Bay to improve the understanding and inputs to prediction models for climate change. At the same time, she is also addressing the scarcity of observational aerosol data in the Southern Hemisphere. Faith loves the exposure and support that she and her research is getting through the Advancing Womxn Fellowship. She is now reaching out and mentoring other young women in STEM fields. Her goal is to advance the representation of women in the scientific research arena.
Kolisa Sinyanya
Kolisa is a Ph.D. candidate and her research is part of a growing body of work that critically examines biogeochemical cycling in the ocean, particularly regions that are currently under-sampled. Her research which is documented in The Conversation Africa aims to involve exploring phytoplankton community dynamics and microbe-nutrient interactions in the Indian Ocean, including subtropical and Southern Ocean waters. She's a Black Women In Science South Africa 2019 Fellow, an Inspiring Fifty Women in STEM South Africa nominee, FameLab Cape Town runner up and a Pint of Science South Africa and TEDxUCT speaker. Kolisa is passionate about learning and sharing her science!
Wanjiru Thoithi
Wanjiru is am currently undertaking my Master's degree in Ocean and Atmospheric Science. I love learning about what makes the planet earth function as it does.
Sizwekazi Yapi
Sizwekazi holds a BSc Honours degree in Biological Science from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, completed in 2018. She comes from Mdantsane, East London in the Eastern Cape Province, where she also completed her undergraduate studies at Walter Sisulu University. Sizwekazi is interested in continuing her studies in ocean and atmospheric science with particular focus in the marine biogeochemistry.
Fortunate Mogane
Fortunate is a MSc candidate in Atmospheric Science at UCT with her thesis focusing on the role of climate on the transport and dispersal of dust within the SA major dust source regions. Fortunate also works for the City of Cape Town as a water and air quality analyst. she is passionate about aerosol distribution both within the atmosphere and the ocean in relation to the changing climate.