Coordinating Council

Dr Sarah Godsell

Bio coming soon.

Ass Prof Daniela Gachago

Dr Daniela Gachago is an Associate Professor at the Centre for Innovation in Learning at Teaching at the Centre for Higher Education Development at the University of Cape Town. Her research focuses on academic staff development to transform teaching and learning in higher education, with a particular focus on socially just pedagogies such as digital storytelling. She is also interested in innovative course and curriculum design drawing from co-creative approaches such as design thinking. She received a PHD from the School of Education at the University of Cape Town. She has published more than 50 peer-reviewed articles and book chapters and is the managing editor of CriSTaL, the journal for critical studies in teaching and learning in higher education.

Sandra Williams

Sandra Williams is the Acting Faculty of Business and Management Sciences Teaching and Learning Coordinator at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. She lectures Law and Research Methodology as well as supervises at the postgraduate level in the Marketing Department. She has a Ph.D. from the University of Western Cape School of Government and an LL.M. from the same university. Sandra specialises in water governance, specifically water law, focusing on equity, efficiency, and sustainability. She has collaborated with other researchers contributing to ongoing research and training in the sector and established a wide network in the water sector in Southern Africa. She has extensive higher education experience and applies herself to curriculum development and related projects and activities

Desiree Scholtz

Desiree Scholtz facilitates teaching and learning support in the Faculty of Business and Management Sciences at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology. She co-ordinated programme development of the new HEQSF qualifications institutionally and in the faculty, and has interests in curriculum renewal, student success and teaching excellence in higher education.

Leanri van Heerden

Leanri van Heerden is a learning designer with the Central University of Technology, Free State. Her responsibilities include the design and development of online and blended learning and teaching experiences, educational technology training and support, and research. She has a background in visual art which gives her a creative perspective on higher education.

Nicola Pallitt

Dr Nicola Pallitt is an Educational Technology Specialist at Senior Lecturer Level. She coordinates the efforts of the Educational Technology team in the Centre for Higher Education Research, Teaching and Learning (CHERTL) at Rhodes University. Nicola offers professional development opportunities and learning design support for academics to design effective blended, hybrid and online learning experiences for their students. Nicola supervises postgraduate students, co-teaches formal courses in Higher Education and co-designs and co-teaches online short courses. She enjoys meeting and supporting practitioner-researchers in the Educational Technology field and is also part of the e/merge Africa team.

Patricia Muhuro

Patricia is involved in the Programme Development Project of HELTASA as a scholarly practitioner. Her passion lies in finding ways to infuse imperatives of social justice and inclusion in the current student and professional learning programmes in the higher education sector. This focus area is critical for her given her as a senior academic developer. She has engaged in scholarship in related thematic areas inter alia, enablers and constraints in professional learning of teachers, student transition and retention, infusion of technology in teaching and learning and decolonisation of the curriculum and efficacy of student support programmes. She is hoping that the Programme development programme will enable her to collaborate with likeminded academic developers in order to advance programme development in higher education.

Sisonke Mawonga

Sisonke first joined the Extended Studies Unit as a student in 2009. In 2005 she returned as a lecturer and language practitioner at the Unit, she teaches Management 1F and Economics 1F (augmented courses for Management 101 & 102 and Economics 101). The courses focus on academic resources, writing and language skills for university. She is currently doing her PhD at the School of Languages. Her research focuses on the use of languages other than English at university , to facilitate epistemic access. She is a member of the African Languages Association of Southern Africa (ALASA) and has presented many papers within the association’s conferences. Her research includes language and pedagogy; implementation of multilingualism in South African higher education and the development of languages other than English.

Dr Ntsoaki Malebo

Ntsoaki Malebo holds a PhD in Microbiology from the University of the Free State and a Post Graduate Diploma in Higher Education from Rhodes University and a Post Graduate Diploma in Leadership Development from the University of Stellenbosch. She is currently appointed as a Senior Director at the Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching at the Central University of Technology, Free State. She is currently involved in academic staff development, a project coordinator for the HELTASA ADL SIG. She is an NRF grant holder registered as a Professional Natural Scientist with SACNASP (South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions). She supervises students at Masters and Doctoral level in the field of Food Safety with a research focus in the use of indigenous knowledge systems for food preservation aligned with SDG 12 which places emphasis on sustainable production and consumption. She has published work in peer reviewed journals and presented at local and international conferences.

Rieta Ganas

I am an academic and educational developer based at the Centre for Learning, Teaching and Development (CLTD) at the University of the Witwatersrand. I am involved in the conceptualisation, facilitation and co-ordination of professional learning programmes, courses and workshops for the academic staff in relation to learning and teaching, curriculum development, leadership and personal development. With a range of positions in educational leadership and management, I always foster people enhancement through a stronger sense of an authentic self. I currently serve as the Deputy Chair of the Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association of Southern Africa (HELTASA), a steering committee member of the New Academics Transitioning into Higher Education (NATHEP) and as a member on the National Co-ordinating Committee (NCC) for the Enhancing Framework. My scholarship interests lies in the field of academic development.

Prof Subethra Pather

Prof Subethra (Su) Pather is currently the Teaching & Learning specialist in the office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). She plays an important role in enhancing UWC’s student success initiatives. Prof Pather is UWC’s Siyaphumelela Lead for the Student Success project. She is Deputy President of HELTASA and forms part of the co-ordinating council working collaboratively with scholarly project managers to enhance teaching and learning in higher education. Prof Pather is manager of UWC FYE and Tutor Enhancement Programme at institutional level. Her research interests are located within the higher education field with particular focus on first year student transition, support, retention and success. Her extensive academic publications and academic presentations are located in this field. She is also involved in several national and international networks in first-year experience to advance student success in South Africa and her research agenda.

Dr Greig Krull

Dr Greig Krull is a Senior Lecturer and Academic Director for Digital Learning in the Commerce, Law and Management (CLM) Faculty at the University of the Witwatersrand, where he provides support to academics around blended and online learning and teaching. He holds a PhD in Technology-Enhanced Learning. His research interests lie in open and flexible learning in higher education, particularly in the areas of mobile learning and professional learning. He is a member of the Executive Committees of the Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa (HELTASA) and the National Association of Distance Education and Open Learning in South Africa (NADEOSA).

Dr Rosaline Govender

Dr Rosaline Govender has a Doctorate in Education from UKZN. She has been working within the field Academic Development since 2011 at the Durban University of Technology (DUT). Her experience in academic development spans across student, staff and curriculum development. At institutional level, she has served as a member of several task teams including General Education and Siyaphumelela. She has been an active participant in the HELTASA’s Professional Development Special Interest Group (PDSIG) 2015-2017 where she served as a committee member. From 2018-2019 she served as a Co-Convenor the PGSIG and in 2020 she was nominated as the Convenor of the Professional Development Learning Community. She presently coordinates the Learning, Teaching and Assessment Module which is part of the Postgraduate Diploma in Higher Education at the DUT.

Dr Nelia Frade

Dr Nelia Frade is a Senior Coordinator at the Centre for Staff Development (CASD) with particular reference to tutoring, at the University of Johannesburg (UJ). Her role is to provide strategic leadership to ensure that tutorials remain integral to teaching and learning. Her research interests include, the role of tutors in promoting student success, integrating tutorials into the curriculum, blended learning environments, student development theories and student engagement and involvement theories. Dr Frade is part of the HELTASA Student Learning Project.

Rieta Ganas

I am an academic and educational developer based at the Centre for Learning, Teaching and Development (CLTD) at the University of the Witwatersrand. I am involved in the conceptualisation, facilitation and co-ordination of professional learning programmes, courses and workshops for the academic staff in relation to learning and teaching, curriculum development, leadership and personal development. With a range of positions in educational leadership and management, I always foster people enhancement through a stronger sense of an authentic self. I currently serve as the Deputy Chair of the Higher Education Teaching and Learning Association of Southern Africa (HELTASA), a steering committee member of the New Academics Transitioning into Higher Education (NATHEP) and as a member on the National Co-ordinating Committee (NCC) for the Enhancing Framework. My scholarship interests lies in the field of academic development.

Prof Subethra Pather

Prof Subethra (Su) Pather is currently the Teaching & Learning specialist in the office of the Deputy Vice Chancellor Academic at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). She plays an important role in enhancing UWC’s student success initiatives. Prof Pather is UWC’s Siyaphumelela Lead for the Student Success project. She is Deputy President of HELTASA and forms part of the co-ordinating council working collaboratively with scholarly project managers to enhance teaching and learning in higher education. Prof Pather is manager of UWC FYE and Tutor Enhancement Programme at institutional level. Her research interests are located within the higher education field with particular focus on first year student transition, support, retention and success. Her extensive academic publications and academic presentations are located in this field. She is also involved in several national and international networks in first-year experience to advance student success in South Africa and her research agenda.

Dr Greig Krull

Dr Greig Krull is a Senior Lecturer and Academic Director for Digital Learning in the Commerce, Law and Management (CLM) Faculty at the University of the Witwatersrand, where he provides support to academics around blended and online learning and teaching. He holds a PhD in Technology-Enhanced Learning. His research interests lie in open and flexible learning in higher education, particularly in the areas of mobile learning and professional learning. He is a member of the Executive Committees of the Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa (HELTASA) and the National Association of Distance Education and Open Learning in South Africa (NADEOSA).

Prof Kasturi Behari-Leak (PhD)

As interim Director of Academic and Professional Staff Development in the Centre for Higher Education Development at UCT, I am passionate about working with academics at all stages of their trajectories to support, enhance, deepen and transform the way teaching and learning are conceptualised and practised in HE. My work in this area focuses on the exploring the interplay between structure (national, institutional, departmental and disciplinary) and culture and how this influences academics’ critical agency in the interest of change. I am President of the Higher Education Learning and Teaching Association of Southern Africa (HELTASA) and have been duly elected as the President-elect for ICED (2020-2021) and President of ICED (2021-2023). I am project leader of a national academic staff development collaborative project (UCDG), NATHEP. I was co- chair of the Curriculum Change Working Group at UCT, commissioned to facilitate discursive engagements on curriculum change and decolonisation across the university. I am on the advisory committee for GHEAR, a sub-committee of the World Universities Network. I am part of several national and international research consortia, focused on HE. I have published in the area of higher education studies and decolonising pedagogies/ decolonising the curriculum.

Dr Whitty Green

Bio coming soon.

Mandisa Cakwe

Bio coming soon.

Mahlubi “Chief” Mabizela

Bio coming soon.

Robert Pardo Silva

I´m an educator, a practitioner, and in that role, I have worked in companies and educational institutions, including two years working for a foundation as the Principal of a school located in one Chile´s most socially disadvantaged areas. Currently, I´m the Director of the Learning Center at Universidad Adolfo Ibáñez and I also direct its Certificate (Diploma) in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education. I´m really passionate about learning and educational development. I was for four years Director of the Chilean Network of Learning Centres, the first of its kind in Latin America, and in 2021 I became Vice-president of the International Consortium for Academic Development. I´ve got a degree in Linguistics from Universidad de Chile, a degree in Education from the Pontificia Universidad Católica de Chile, a professional degree in Psychopedagogy from Educares Institute, and a Master’s Degree in Cognitive Psychology and Learning from Universidad Autónoma de Madrid.

Mary Kiguru

Mary Kiguru is a systemic change designer and a learning development expert. Mary designs and facilitates programs for Faculty/Academic Development through the Association for Faculty Enrichment in Learning and Teaching (AFELT, www.afelt.org). She is founder member of AFELT and serves as the Organization’s Secretary General and founder member driving the implementation of the Council’s vision in transforming Faculty Development across East Africa. Mary Kiguru is also the Country for Education for All Children – an Education-to-Employment Launchpad program, where provides strategic leadership for the organization in developing strategies to empower youth for the world of work. In her portfolio, she has designed the Education-to-Employment Bridge program that equips the scholars with requisite skills for the world of work.