The first morning session of the 2019 Durban Autumn graduation was an emotional one for both students and their parents.
The Durban graduation ceremonies of the Durban University of Technology started this morning (Monday, 6 May 2019) and will end on Tuesday, 14 May 2019. All sessions will be held at the Fred Crookes Sport Centre, Durban.
Earlier today, the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment graduation ceremony saw two Doctorate degrees being bestowed upon Dr Oseni Amoo and Dr Elijah Olurotimi.
Dr Amoo’s study investigates the applicability of an integrated hydrological model in a Geographical Information Systems (GIS) environment for sustainable water allocation planning and management, using the Mkhomazi Basin in KwaZulu-Natal Province as a case study.
“Allocation of freshwater resources between societal needs and natural ecological systems is of great concern for water managers. This development has challenged decision-makers regarding how to reasonably allocate available water resources to meet the competing demands. Thus, turning these concerns into opportunities requires the need for both water technology innovation and water behavioural change, in order to manage fresh water in a sustainable manner,” he added.
For Dr Olurotimi, talking about his journey made him very emotional, adding that he was up from 2am this morning, counting down the hours until graduation. “This was a long journey but I am excited to be here,” he said.
His study focuses on the measurement of rain height to assess the degree of attenuation due to precipitation over several locations across South Africa, a subtropical region.
“This thesis presents five-year rain height measurements based on zero-degree isotherm height (ZDIH) obtained from the Tropical Rainfall Measuring Mission-Precipitation Radar (TRMM-PR) over a subtropical region, South Africa,” he said.
Dr Olurotimi stressed that findings from this study show that the ZDIH distribution is location dependent. “Rain heights value ranges from about 4,305 km from the southern region to 5,105 km in the northern region of South Africa,” he said.
Also, the first Durban graduation session proved to be very emotional for Lindkuhle Sithole who graduated with his National Diploma in Electrical Engineering. He was overwhelmed by the whole ceremony, running off stage to hug his family members in the crowd, and returning back with tears of joy, to complete his graduation.
Graduating Cum Laude for Berthrand Ngwey and obtaining his Bachelor of Technology in Electrical Engineering was also a momentous occasion. He said he wanted to be different in terms of what he wore for his big day. Ngwey opted for a kilt which is a type of knee-length non-bifurcated skirt with pleats at the back, originating in the traditional dress of Gaelic men and boys in the Scottish Highlands.
“I chose to wear a Scottish attire since I am very fascinated by the kilt and the history behind it. So my aim was to be different from the norm and I have achieved it,” he said.
Parents Duncan and Jannine Boyes were thrilled to witness their son Simon Boyes, graduate with his National Diploma in Electrical Engineering. “It was so beautiful and so exciting to see my son go on stage. I am so proud of him. I am also graduate of the University at the former Natal Technikon, so it is great to witness my son also being part of the institution. We are coming back for the next ceremony because my second son James Boyes will graduate with his Bachelor of Technology in Construction Management and Quantity Surveying, at 2pm today,” said a proud Jannine Boyes.
Pictured: Berthrand Ngwey with his Scottish attire.
Waheeda Peters
