Saturday Student: Liezel Rudolph
Liezel (Elizabeth) Rudolph obtained her Geography BSc and Honours degrees at the University of Pretoria, and a MSc at Rhodes University. She also has a PGCE from UNISA, which allowed her to teach Geography at Abbott’s College in Pretoria for a few years. She is currently in the final stages of her PhD (also in Geography) at the University of Fort Hare. She currently lectures Geomorphology at the University of the Free State. Her postgraduate research focussed on glacial and peri-glacial landforms and their response to (past and present) climate change. These studies afforded her opportunities to visit the research stations on Marion Island and in the Antarctic, working with SANAP-NRF funded programmes in geomorphology – Landscape Processes in Antarctic Ecosystems and Sub-Antarctic Landscape-Climate Interactions.
Where you come from where did it all started
I grew up in Pretoria. I never knew what I wanted to be when I grow up – all my friends had career aspirations, but I had interests. I liked variety and the thought of having one, predictable job for the rest of my life scared me endless. I had a keen interest in earth and physical sciences, but I also really enjoyed the arts and design. However, I was neither a Newton nor a Michelangelo at school and the prospect of either as a career path did not sit quite well with me. By the time I finished school I could still not decide on a single career and nothing in the university catalogues seemed to tick all the boxes. So, by process of elimination, I crossed out everything that sounded boring or would involve living creatures (I faint at the sight of blood), and the only thing that was left was Geography. I should’ve known – it’s a science that allows, no, encourages, variety of thought and expression. But I didn’t end up in research straight away. After I finished my Honours in Geography, I taught high school for a few years before returning to full-time studies to pursue a Masters. During my Masters though, I truly missed teaching. There’s something magical about sharing your passion on a subject with young people, and them getting equally excited about it. Its then that I realised a career where I can actively pursue my research interests, and teach, would be my dream job. I don’t believe I could’ve reached this realisation on my own. I had many mentors (parents, teachers, bosses, supervisors) who could lead, inspire and guide me. Through my post-school adult years, I didn’t always know how things will play-out, but I stuck to things I enjoyed and tried to do everything to the best of my ability. I could have followed a more predictable career path, but I may not have been so excited about it, as I am about what I get to do now. I am now lecturing Geomorphology at the University of the Free State and pursuing a PhD in Geography which, on top of everything, is on a topic I’ve been fascinated with since I first read a short story in my English class, at age 11 – glaciers.
Why you love your career in science?
It never grows old. With new discoveries come a flood of new unanswered questions. It pushes your mental limits and if you like that sort of challenge, you won’t easily get bored. Geography, especially, allows you to think both critically and creatively – it’s like playing a game with rules, but you are allowed to invent new rules. It allows you to visit amazing landscapes (if you’re a Geographer) and meet new and interesting people. Perhaps the best part of is, that it allows you to explore something you are very curious about, and you get to share your findings with an audience that are interested. At the same time, you benefit from what others have discovered about their own curiosity. It’s a constant learning process. In my experience I’ve gotten to work with incredible minds in the Southern African Geomorphology community, and have had the privilege to meet world-class scientists form other fields within the greater SANAP community – all who very passionate about their research fields and to whom I owe much of my passion for science. I am currently serving on the Association of Polar Early Carer Scientists’ South African National Committee (APECSSA), which has awarded me the opportunity to meet other early career scientists, not only from the Earth Science field, but from the Ocean-, Biological-, Botanical- and Space-physics sciences, to name a few. I don’t know of many other careers that would you expose you to such a variety of people and places.
“Science is like art, perhaps with a few more rigorous guidelines, and it allows you to draw on your own unique talents – just like an artist has a specific style. So, you should play by the rules, but you don’t have to fit a mould. Find mentors and listen to their advice. Make your own decisions and take responsibility for yourself. Don’t do anything halfies – finish what you’ve started and do it properly, or leave it all together. I believe that no time spent doing something well, is ever time wasted – experience is what makes us human. People will always be more important than science, so value your personal and professional relationships.” – Liezel
Links: google scholar: https://scholar.google.co.za/citations?user=lwGJSqAAAAAJ&hl=en Facebook: https://web.facebook.com/apecssa/ ; https://web.facebook.com/sanaplci/ Twitter: @Apecssa; @sanaplci Interview: GrootOntbyt /GrootFM 90.5, a community radio station in Pretoria. Interview: at Aktru research station, in Siberia. Article: Early glacial maximum and deglaciation at sub-Antarctic Marion Island from cosmogenic 36Cl exposure dating
Text and Images: Liezel Rudolph
Jess completed her Master’s Degree in Environmental Management in 2012 and started working in the corporate consulting world. She relocated to Cape Town in 2014 and got involved as a volunteer firefighter and started experimenting more with creative hobbies like drawing and painting. In 2018 she was offered a volunteer position for the summer takeover to 
“Lacking a good camera but having a desire to experience this incredible place to the fullest, and knowing that drawing is a fantastic meditation; I treated myself to a blank sketchbook and some fine-liner pens before departing on our journey. I like creative expression. It helps me clear my head and experience a place or a situation more deeply.”
ANT{INK}TICA : There were initially no plans to publicise her art, but the opportunity was presented by the archivist at Antarctic Legacy of South Africa (ALSA) to publish it in a coffee table book. This is the first art publication from the Antarctic Legacy of South Africa. The book consists of 49 sketches and 3 poems, depicting scenes experienced by Jess during her Antarctic Expedition. Only 100 publications are available and will be signed by the artist. This publication will be a unique addition to Art Book Collections and Antarctic publications. 
Jess’ message to you: “To get out there, challenge yourself. To believe in yourself and your ability. To try new things. Try harder, to judge yourself less and to never give up. To appreciate the experiences and lessons you’ve been endowed with and to help others along their way”. . Jess’ hope is that this book will shine a light for you, to show you that anything is possible. That persistence pays. Magic exists. And every day is a gift. Life is short, don’t waste a second.
probably the time to break from studies, our first “Saturday Student” in the Mid-Month series is Kolisa Yola Sinyanya or for those who are familiar with Twitter, 
She is a PhD candidate in Oceanography at the University of Cape Town (UCT). Her PhD research is part of a growing body of work that critically examines bio-geochemical cycling in the ocean, particularly regions that are currently under-sampled. The research aims involve exploring phytoplankton community dynamics and microbe-nutrient interactions in the Indian Ocean, including subtropical and Southern Ocean waters. To date, Kolisa has been awarded the Advancing Womxn Fellowship in the Department of Oceanography awarded under the “For womxn by womxn: conducting research in a field in which womxn are in short supply” category of a new initiative at UCT championed by the Office of the Vice-Chancellor. She is one of the researchers who were on 5-week cruise to Marion Island in the Sub-Antarctic Indian Ocean in 2017.
in effective science communication through public speaking, scientific writing and television features. In February of 2020, she presented one of her PhD chapters at Ocean Sciences Meeting in San Diego, USA. Towards the end of 2019, the new 
She has taken part in several science communication activities, including 
of Marion Island in the sub-Antarctic. Her research is on the impact of various physical factors on landscape change, for example: animals (seals in particular) on soil properties and vegetation community composition; ice, above or below the ground surface. Geomorphology or better known as Physical Geography is her area(s) of Interest and more specifically, the processes behind 
Periglacial Landforms and to a lesser extent Biogeomorphology. She is fascinated by cold and mountainous places, and thus prefer to work in environments like the High Drakensberg, Subantarctic Marion Island or Antarctica. Liezel is a 
research is part of a growing body of work that critically examines biogeochemical cycling in the ocean, particularly regions that are currently under-sampled. The research aims involve exploring phytoplankton community dynamics and microbe-nutrient interactions in the Indian Ocean, including subtropical and Southern 
Ocean waters. To-date, Kolisa has been awarded the Advancing Womxn Fellowship in the Department of Oceanography. She is a Black Women in South Africa Fellows of 2019. In 2019 she was nominated as one of the Inspiring Fifty Women in STEM South Africa. Kolisa has a passion for learning science and for sharing her science and this PhD programme has allowed her to engage in effective science communication through both public speaking and scientific writing. Kolisa’s work has also been documented in the academic communication magazine, The Conversation Africa. Earlier this year she was invited to be on the “New Voices” panel at the annual Nature, Environment and Wildlife Filmmakers Congress. Sinyanya is committed to increasing the visibility of women in STEM and to that end, she runs a blog called 
She has just been awarded the HJ Scoonbee medal for the best MSc Dissertation 
pressures on the organism and the genes that experience selection in response to environmental change. Her results highlighted complex spatial genetic patterns that could be driven by micro-habitat preferences and/or a fitness funnel driven by local adaptations. This complexity illustrates that individuals respond to environmental changes. Her results may bring about far-reaching implications for conservation management on Marion Island, highlighting the importance of considering fine-scale evolutionary processes in management plans. In essence, her results emphasize that conservation efforts are best addressed in a ‘bottom-up’ approach as opposed to a ‘top-down’ approach, which is the case for (Southern Ocean) biodiversity. She is passionate about her work and is extremely fond of the world down south. Daniela loves everything about nature, the outdoors, and sports, particularly soccer, of which she is part of a ladies team in a provincial league. She enjoys spending time with her friends and family, and in her free time, she enjoys the hobby of fishkeeping.
She is currently a Capetonian and studies towards a Masters in Physical/Chemical Oceanography, through the Nelson Mandela University. She was one of 41 students that qualified for this year’s SEAmester cruise and won the prize for best student on-board. During the 
ambition that will not be held back and we are convinced that she will become an Antarctic ambassador at heart and further the connection between Cape Town and the Antarctic, as part of the network of gateway cities toward the Antarctic. Her expectation for the expedition before she left : “I look forward especially to interacting with the other young leaders and researchers chosen for this expedition to possibly establish connections. As an aspiring Oceanographer, Antarctica is an important milestone in my career, it represents the pinnacle of science, cooperation and diplomacy. To be the South African ambassador for this project is a privilege and is extremely humbling.” Rudzi arrived back in Cape Town on 28 February 2020 from the first ACYE
