The FEMDAC Research Team
Professor Relebohile Moletsane
Principal Investigator
Professor and the JL Dube Chair in Rural Education in the School of Education and Pro Vice Chancellor: Social Cohesion at the University of KwaZulu-Natal
Professor Reitumetse Obakeng Mabokela (she/her)
Co-Principal Investigator
Vice-Provost for International Affairs and Global Strategy and Professor of Higher Education at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Professor Assata Zerai (she/her)
Co-Investigator
Professor of Sociology and Vice President for Equity and Inclusion at the University of New Mexico; Emerita Professor of Sociology at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign; and Visiting Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand.
Professor Ronelle Carolissen
Co-Investigator
Ronelle Carolissen is a clinical psychologist and full professor of Psychology in the Department of Psychology at Stellenbosch University, South Africa.
Dr. Saajidha Sader
Co-Investigator
Dr. Saajidha Sader, who identifies as a decolonial feminist activist scholar, is a lecturer in the School of Education at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), South Africa.
Dr. Nonhlanhla Mthiyane
Co-Investigator
Nonhlanhla is a Senior Lecturer in Biology Education in the School of Education at the Durban University of Technology.
Ms. Mariann Skahan
FEMDAC Staff
Mariann Skahan is a Ph.D. candidate in the Department of Anthropology at the University of New Mexico and is researching Language Education and Revival on the Jicarilla Apache Nation.
Ms. Elsa Zawedde
FEMDAC Staff
Elsa Zawedde is a doctoral candidate in Law at the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and is researching Dynamic Health Justice Partnerships in Uganda.
Nkonzo Mkhize
FEMDAC Staff
Nkonzo Mkhize is a researcher and a PhD candidate at the Centre for Visual Methodologies for Social Change at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Ms. Brandi Wells-Stone
Brandi Wells-Stone works as the Director at UNM African American Student Services and Special Advisor to the President on African American Affairs.
Dr. Evangela Q. Oates
Dr. Evangela Oates is the Associate University Librarian for Student Success in the University Libraries at the University of Minnesota Twin Cities.
Dr. Samukelisiwe Mngomezulu
Dr. Samukelisiwe is and a lecturer in Curriculum Studies in the School of Education at the University of Kwa-Zulu-Natal in South Africa.
Dr. Duduzile Mzindle
Dr. Mzindle is the Head of School in the Faculty of Arts and Design at the Durban University of Technology.
Dr. Lungile Masinga
Dr. Lungile is a Senior lecturer in Curriculum and Education Studies and has also worked in the Gender and Education discipline at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) in South Africa.
Dr. Siphiwe Motloung
Dr. Siphiwe is a lecturer at the School of Applied Human Sciences in the Social Work Department at the University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Dr. Zanele Dube-Xaba
Dr. Zanele Dube-Xaba is a lecturer in the discipline of Travel and Tourism, School of Education, University of KwaZulu-Natal.
Dr. Nomkhosi Nzimande
Dr. Nomkhosi is a lecturer in Curriculum and Education Studies at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN), South Africa.
Dr. Ingrid Bamberg
Dr. Ingrid is a Post-Doctoral Fellow in the Mellon Foundation-funded FemDAC project at the University of KwaZulu-Natal’s Centre for Critical Research on Race and Identity (ccrri).
Dr. Pinkie Mthembu
Dr. Pinkie is lecturer at the School of Education at University of KwaZulu Natal.
Dr. RHODA MalGAS
Dr. Rhoda is a lecturer at Department of Conservation Ecology and Entomology at Stellenbosch University.
Dr. Daphney Bucher
Dr. Daphney is a postdoctoral research fellow in the field of fundamental nuclear physics at iThemba LABS.
Dr. Lieketseng Ned
Dr. Lieketseng is an Occupational Therapist and lecturer at the Centre for Disability & Rehabilitation Studies within the Department of Global Health at Stellenbosch University.
Dr. Samantha Williams
Dr. Samantha is a lecturer in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Stellenbosch University. She teaches undergraduate Physical Geography to first year students and Honours in Environmental Studies. In her early academic career she was appointed as a researcher at the University of Cape Town in the Department of Environmental and Geographical Sciences where she would later advance into a Post-Doctoral position. Her research interests are in rural livelihoods and natural resource access.
Dr. Zelda Barends
Dr. Zelda is a lecturer and Programme Leader in the Department of Curriculum Studies at the Faculty of Education at Stellenbosch University. Her research interests are within the broader field of early childhood education for age group 5 – 9 years. Her focus is on aspects of reading, literacy, teachers’ professional development, foundation phase teacher education and work integrated learning. She is passionate about teaching and learning and keen to contribute to the production of culturally responsive educators. Zelda is a member of the South African Research Association for Early Child Education (SARAECE) as well as the International Literacy Association. Her published research papers highlight teachers’ content knowledge for reading literacy as well as using work integrated learning to better prepare reading literacy teachers.
Dr. Carmelita Jacobs
Dr. Carmelita is an Educational psychologist and lecturer in the Department of Educational Psychology at Stellenbosch University. In 2015 she was awarded the Andrew Mellon Foundation Fellowship for her PhD. Her study focuses on exploring parental educational support in single-mother families, and has recently handed in her dissertation for examination. In 2017 she was appointed in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Stellenbosch. Carmelita’s research interests are feminist research, alternatives theories of capital, such as community cultural wealth and emotional capital, and family-school relationships. During her undergraduate years she received merit bursaries each year including the Harry Crossley scholarship in 2013.
Ms. Lisa Naldrett-Bailey
Lisa is a registered Industrial Psychologist with over 12 years in the corporate sector and has practiced privately. Lisa lectures undergraduate students in the Faculty of Health Sciences at Stellenbosch University; specializing in Human Resource Development, Organizational Behaviour, and the Psychology of Work. She has worked in different capacities in the public and private sector including the Department of Justice and Constitutional Development, Old Mutual and Sanlam. She is passionate about people and strive to assist and develop others.
Ms. Nondumiso Phenyane
Nondumiso is a lecturer in the Public and Mercantile Law Departments at Stellenbosch University. Before joining Stellenbosch University, Nondumiso worked as a Law Researcher at the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA). In line with her interest in procedural law, Nondumiso also does legal research for the Juta & Co Commentary on the Criminal Procedure Act.
Ms. Thandeka Bhengu
Thandeka is a lecturer and a clinical instructor in the Department of Nursing in the Health Sciences Faculty at the Durban University of Technology. She teaches undergraduate nursing students. She is passionate about community nursing and rural health care. Her research interests are in primary health care, access to antenatal care for women in rural communities. She has done research, co-authored papers and published in the International Journal of Africa Nursing Science (IJANS). She is one of the reviewers for the Health SA Gesondheid Journal of Interdisciplinary Health Sciences.
Ms. Pumelela Nqelenga
Pumelela is lecturer in the School of Drama and Performance at the University of KwaZulu Natal. She is a performer and interdisciplinary practitioner who has been performing since 2008 in productions ranging from professional work that has been performed in festivals around the country and post-graduate student productions. Pumelela performed at the National Arts Festival in a production titled Inqindi, which won a Standard Bank Ovation Award. She has worked with theatre companies such as Ubom! Eastern Cape Theatre Company and First Physical Theatre. She has had the privilege of performing under the mentorship of well renowned award winning performers, choreographers and directors such as Andrew Buckland, Mandla Mbotwe, Janet Buckland, Alex Sutherland, Alan Parker, Gavin Krastin, Acty Tang and Jess Harrison.
Ms. Ongezwa Mbele
Ongezwa is an Applied Theatre facilitator, storyteller a published poet and performance lecturer at the University of Kwa Zulu Natal. In 2016/2017, she worked as a prison theatre facilitator in Norway at Vardeteatre on a professional exchange programme funded by Norec. Ongezwa has been drawn to theatre that addresses societal issues. She has studied courses such as Prison theatre and teaching dance in education. These courses have harnessed her passion of using theatre as medium in her work with young people and children.
Ms. Luthando Ngema
Luthando is an emerging scholar at the School of Arts (AADP), Media and Cultural Studies department at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Her multidisciplinary interests include understanding urban cultures; representation of gender and race issues in the media; political communication and communication for development. Luthando, teaches and supervises at post graduate level.
Ms. Pinkie Ntola
Pinkie is a lecturer in the Chemistry Department at the Durban University of Technology teaching Analytical chemistry, Inorganic Chemistry and Chemistry to different service departments. Earlier in her career she worked as Trainee Chemist at Anglo American in 2008. In 2009, she was awarded a James Moir Award for Academic Excellence during her BTech in Chemistry.
Ms. Moipone Matli
Moipone began her career in the retail, marketing and financial services where she spent 10years after completing her undergraduate studies. She went further to pursue her academic career in Higher Education. In 2016 she joined Mangosuthu University of Technology as an Institutional Researcher. She continued to further her studies and obtained a B Tech Degree in Marketing from Central University of Technology in the Free State.
Ms. Ntokozo Madlala
Ntokozo is a lecturer in Drama and Performance at the University of KwaZulu Natal. She has worked as a teacher, an actor, a director, a community, industrial theatre and theatre in education practitioner. She is passionate about directing and accessing original South African narratives that reinforce and reclaim a sense of belonging and identity. Her directing credits include productions such as Sophiatown by Junction Avenue Theatre Company, focusing on the disruptions on black communities caused by forced removals during Apartheid, Sarafina by Mbongeni Ngema, an epic Broadway Musical about 1976 Soweto Uprising.
Ms. Nomcebisi Moyikwa
Nomcebisi is a performer, researcher, academic, choreographer, creative director, art administrator and manager and a Lecturer in Performance Studies and Drama at the University of KwaZulu Natal. She is two-time Standard Bank Ovation Award winner and South African Theatre Magazine Best-choreographer for 2017. Her intellectual and creative training is committed to Afrosurrealism, Performance studies, African Feminism, Language, Knowledge Production, African Literature and inter/trans disciplinary studies. She is obsessed with Sara Ahmed, Sylvia Wynter, Toni Morrison, Danai Mupotsa and Yvonne Vera.