Two UKZN academics were awarded Teaching Advancements Through Universities (TAU) Fellowships this year.
They are the Academic Leader of Teaching and Learning in the School of Laboratory Medicine and Medical Sciences (LMMS), Dr Pamela Pillay, and Dr Boby Varghese, who heads UKZN’s Centre for Academic Success in Science and Engineering.
Selected from a pool of academics across various South African universities, Pillay and Varghese were thrilled to join the TAU Fellowship Programme which seeks to build a cadre of teaching fellows in a wide range of disciplines over a 19-month programme, involving block week contact sessions, individual projects in own teaching and learning settings, group projects and reflective reports.
Pillay said they were fortunate to receive TAU Fellowships and looked forward to the learning and interacting with fellow recipients from other universities. TAU fellows develop their capabilities to engage in and insert themselves as change agents, individually and collectively, in building a socially just education.
Pillay, who has served two terms as Academic Leader of Teaching and Learning (2019-2022, and reinstated from 10 February 2022, has played a pivotal role in developing the Bachelor of Medical Sciences’ Innovation and Entrepreneurship Programme, recently approved by the Department of Higher Education and Training (DHET). Currently, she leads efforts with the LMMS task team to secure Council on Higher Education approval for the programme and she champions various teaching and learning initiatives within the School collaborating closely with academic staff in decision-making.
Additionally, Pillay serves as a body donor programme ambassador and an executive council member and honorary editor of proceedings for the Anatomical Society of Southern Africa. She also contributes to the UKZN Biomedical Research Ethics Committee.
Outside of academia, she brings her rich life experiences as a dedicated wife and mother to a 12-year-old son, enriching her perspective and commitment to both her family and professional roles.
Pillay earned her Master’s in Medical Science (Anatomy) cum laude, and her PhD in Health Sciences from UKZN. Her multipronged research focus includes anatomical variations; equity and diversity in anatomical education; ethical frameworks for research involving human remains and anatomy/medical education.
Pillay has garnered numerous awards for conference presentations, published over 40 peer-reviewed articles, and supervised the completion of 16 master’s and 2 PhD students. She has been a recipient of the Nations Research Foundation Erasmus Mundus and the Department of Higher Education and Training (UCDP) mobility grants, affording her mentoring opportunities at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester Minnesota in the United States.
She was also awarded the DRILL-UKZN Fellowship (2017-2022) in Health Research Ethics.
Words: Lunga Memela