A top achiever, Sandile Mkhize will graduate Cum Laude for his Master of Applied Sciences in Chemistry at the Durban University of Technology (DUT) 2024 Spring Graduation, which will be held at the Durban Exhibition Centre on Thursday, 19 September 2024.
His fondness for pursuing a profession in chemistry was driven by his eagerness to explore the world of science and become a world-renowned researcher, focusing on green chemistry principles and conducting research that addresses real-world issues. Shortly after completing his Bachelor of Technology (Btech) in Chemistry, Mkhize was approached by the Department of Chemistry at DUT to pursue his Master’s Degree, although it was not something he had considered.
“I eagerly embraced the opportunity and gave it my all. My study was incredibly fascinating, involving transforming waste into a product that could help combat tooth sensitivity. It required me to delve into an unfamiliar branch of chemistry (mechanochemistry) and explore dentistry-an entirely new field for a chemistry major. The journey demanded significant dedication, but the support from my supervisors, family, and friends made it all worthwhile,” said Mkhize.
Hailing from Ezingolweni, in the South Coast of KwaZulu-Natal Mkhize encountered some challenges, the biggest of them all being the COVID-19 lockdowns which restricted his access to the university for laboratory sessions. However, that did not deter his vision, in fact he was even more propelled to accomplish his academic goal.
“I could not send samples to other laboratories for analysis due to their closures during various lockdown stages. Another major challenge was finding a lab to assist with certain characterisation techniques after the instrument in the lab I was using in Cape Town broke down. Despite these obstacles, everything worked out in the end,” he narrated.
Amongst the DUT ENVISION2030 Living Values and Principles, Mkhize resonates deeply with the act of Integrity. “It is the moral compass that guides our decisions and it is essential in building and maintaining credibility and trust in both our personal and professional lives. As a scientist, integrity is particularly important to me as it ensures adherence to professional practices, guaranteeing objectivity, clarity, and reproducibility in my scientific work,” he explained.
He is currently working as a laboratory analyst for the Sugar Milling Research Institute NPC. His duties involves training laboratory personnel and auditing laboratories across sugar mills in Africa. He aspires to reach a PhD level, increase his contributions to the scientific community and inspire those pursuing a science degree.
Pictured: Sandile Mkhize who will be obtaining his Master of Applied Sciences in Chemistry at the DUT 2024 Spring Graduation.
Thubelihle Dumakude
