Motivating female high school learners to take STEM careers
Date: Wednesday, 7th August 2019
Venue: Estcourt High School
This event is proudly sponsored by WIE SA, NEMISA, icABCD 2019 and Estcourt High School.
Speakers:
 |  |  |  |
| Dr Simphiwe Buthelezi | Nwabisa Letsoha | Prof. Manoj Maharaj | Dr Violeta Holmes |
Dr Simphiwe Buthelezi has a PhD degree in Science obtained at the University of KwaZulu Natal. She has published her research work on peer reviewed journals, and her presented her research findings on numerous local and international conferences. Dr Buthelezi has vast experience in both public and private sector. She worked at the South African Sugar Association for six years as a Resource Manager. As a resource manager her position entailed financial management, providing strategic leadership, resource management, thus insuring effective and efficient use of available resources. Dr Buthelezi has eight years of experience in training, lecturing, management and curriculum development. She lectured at the University of KwaZulu-Natal for seven years. She has supervised; co-supervised and mentored undergraduate and postgraduate students. Dr Buthelezi has in-depth knowledge of strategic management, Change leadership, Organizational change, Organizational culture and climate and Organizational transformation etc. Furthermore, she also has experience in conflict management, planning, organizing, implementing, analysing and managing research projects. |
Nwabisa Letsoha works as Network Optimization Engineer at Eskom. She is also the IEEE SA WIE Vice-Chair. Nwabisa graduated with a BSc in Electrical Engineering at the University of Cape Town (UCT) in 2013. She is currently studying further at UCT. She is doing a masters research for Eskom “Investigation of doubling of Distribution total energy losses in winter”. At university she was a student leader advocating for transformation to tackle language barrier and other the challenges she experienced as a student from a previously disadvantaged school in Khayelitsha, Cape Town township. Throughout her student life she held different leadership positions. In 2010 she was the chairperson of Engineering & the Built Environment Student Council. She was one of the delegates elected to participate in the pilot of UCT Emerging leaders in 2009. She was a delegate of the first of its kind leadership program with UCT and Wisconsin University. She was also a delegate for the first Womeng Fellowship program which was previously called SAWomeng, she then became a Girl Eng mentor under the Womeneng Umbrella. She’s passionate about youth and women empowerment. In 2008 she co-founded Kasi Youth United organization aimed at empowering, motivating youth in townships. In 2016 she identified a gap and initiated a CV drive and interview preparation for youth in Katlehong, Gauteng East Rand Township. The aim of the drive was to assist youth with brand marketing and co-operate world preparedness. In 2018, she was nominated for WiE Vice Chair post which she is currently fulfilling. Her greatest goal would be influencing policies and decision making to favor female and thus addressing the inequality and gender based issues. |