Faculty of Veterinary Science
Prof GE Swan, Dean
Telephone number: 012 529 8201
Fax number: 012 529 8313
E-mail address: gerry.swan@up.ac.za
Message by the Dean
The year under review was the fourth year of the faculty’s four-year strategic plan, aimed at increasing its number of postgraduate students and making research a primary thrust to stimulate and focus its research programme on unique South African animal disease problems.
A satisfactory growth in research output, mainly measured in terms of scientific publications and the NRF ratings obtained by the faculty’s researchers, was achieved during the year. All four submissions for rating were approved, but unfortunately the faculty also lost two of its previously rated staff members due to retirement. This meant that it had a total of 17 rated researchers in 2009, compared to 15 in 2008. Subsidy units earned for publications in 2007 were 62.73, which is lower than the 65.3 units attained for its publications in 2006, but still resulted in a slightly higher research budget of R1.1 million against R1.004 million the previous year.
This first decrease in the number of publications in more than a decade was mainly due to the loss of some of the faculty’s most productive senior staff members. Fortunately, it was more than compensated for by an increase in the number of publications in 2008, resulting in 81.58 subsidy units. Again, as in previous years, all the publications were in ISIaccredited journals, reflecting the consistently high quality of the faculty’s research.
According to the faculty’s policy, 20% of the research allocation is allocated to the Faculty Research Fund, which is used by the Research Committee to support young or new researchers who have not yet established themselves for external funding purposes.
Finally, the amount allocated to the faculty for postgraduate scholarships was increased to R440 000, which translated into 11 doctoral and 13 master’s scholarships, auguring well for the future.
Excellence in research performance was again recognised by the identification of the faculty’s top 10 researchers and the presentation of the Researcher of the Year award at the annual Faculty Day to Prof Vinny Naidoo, Director of the Biomedical Research Centre.
This award measures productivity in terms of subsidy units earned. Similarly, two Young Researcher of the Year awards were presented using slightly different criteria. The two individuals honoured in this way in 2009 were Dr Monty Saulez (academic staff) and Dr Lyndy McGaw (non-academic staff).
For the past 25 years, Faculty Day has represented the focal point of the academic year, serving as a platform to showcase the research activities in the faculty to colleagues and peers. In 2009, Faculty Day took place on 27 August. It was a special occasion and a huge success with 25 oral and 15 poster presentations. To make the event even more memorable, the Sir Arnold Theiler Memorial Lecture was presented by Prof Peter Doherty of Australia, the first and only veterinarian to have been awarded the Nobel Prize. He shared the prize in physiology or medicine with Dr Rolf Zinkernagel for their discovery of how the immune system recognises virus-infected cells. His lecture, entitled Adventures in infection and immunity, served as an inspiration to those present and emphasised that his training as a veterinarian provided him with a sound scientific foundation from which he was able to launch his remarkable scientific career.
Prof Gerry Swan
Dean: Veterinary Science
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