Nationality: South African

Institution: Nelson Mandela University

Department: Department of Botany

PAST programme support: Degree support

Research title:Palaeoenvironments of the Cape Floristic Region: Refined ecological insights through finer taxonomic classifications

“I am a PhD candidate at the Nelson Mandela University Palaeoecology Lab, where my research focuses on using ancient pollen to better understand past environments in the Cape Floristic Region.”

My interests have always aligned with ecology. I have worked with the South African National Biodiversity Institute on sustainable land-use projects, and I currently lecture in Ecology and Environmental Science. I am also active in the palaeoscience community, having presented my work at both national and international conferences. These include the Southern African Society for Quaternary Research (SASQUA) conferences in 2022 and 2024 (where I was awarded best student presentation), as well as the International Union of Geodesy and Geophysics (IUGG) General Assembly in Berlin in 2023.