Central

Member: Jeanette du Plessis

Institution: CUT

Dr Jeanetta du Plessis is a lecturer in the Faculty of Health – and Environmental Science at the Central University of Technology in the programme Radiography from 2000. Before entering higher education, she was practising as a diagnostic radiographer at the Universitas Hospital in Bloemfontein. She acquired all her qualifications at the University of the Free State in Bloemfontein. Although her big passion lies with the profession of radiography, health professions education and specifically the area of work-integrated learning and peer-assisted learning has developed into areas of special interest over the years.

Jeanetta is married to Jean, has raised three sons and has a granddaughter and grandson.

Member: Mathys Labuschagne

Institution: UFS

Mathys Labuschagne is the Head of the Clinical Simulation and Skills Unit, School of Medicine, University of the Free State.  He completed his MB ChB degree and qualified as an Ophthalmologist in 2006. He developed an interest in health professions education and completed a PHD in Health Professions Education in June 2012 from the UFS. The title of the thesis was: Clinical Simulation to enhance undergraduate medical education and training at the University of the Free State.

The facility is utilised for undergraduate and postgraduate medical simulation training as well as inter-professional training and research. He has a special interest in simulation as training tool, precision skills training and mastery of learning and IPE. He was part of the team who developed a comprehensive IPE program for the Faculty of Health Sciences at the UFS, involving seven professions.  

He is involved with postgraduate supervision for Masters’ and PhD students in HPE. He was promoted to full professor in January 2022.

Member: Carien Weyers

Institution: CUT

Bio:

Member: Lizemari Hugo-van Dyk

Institution: UFS

Senior Lecturer at the University of the Free State

Lizemari Hugo-Van Dyk is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Nursing, University of the Free State, where she is responsible for coordinating the second-year nursing undergraduate theoretical and practical modules. Lizemari holds a PhD degree in Nursing. Her field of interest and specialty is clinical nursing education, specifically clinical facilitation and student support. She consequently designed and is presenting an online clinical facilitator training programme for healthcare professionals. Currently, she is also developing a Postgraduate Diploma in Nursing Education.

Her other passion is health professions education. Hence, she serves on several departmental and faculty educational-focused committees to share ideas and learn with and from others. Regionally, she serves on the Southern African Association of Health Educationalists (SAAHE) Central Committee holding the academic portfolio and nationally, on the National SAAHE Board as secretary and representative of SAAHE Central. 

Lizemari has successfully supervised several Master students and has acted as external postgraduate assessor for several higher education institutions. In her personal research, Lizemari is involved in several projects within and without the borders of South Africa. She is the principal investigator of interprofessional and national research projects.

Member: Riaan van Wyk

Institution: UFS

Riaan van Wyk obtained a BComm (IT) degree at the University of the Free State in 2000 and joined the private sector as an IT Systems engineer. His involvement in tertiary education began in 2012 as a technical expert at the Clinical Simulation and Skills Unit at the University of the Free State. He obtained a Master’s degree in 2016 and a PhD in HPE in 2021 (UFS). He is currently the chair of the SAAHE Simulation special interest group.

Member: Arnelle Mostert

Institution: UFS

Arnelle Mostert was born in Windhoek, Namibia. She graduated with an MBChB degree in 1996 (University of Stellenbosch) and a Masters degree in Health Professions Education in 2019 (University of the Free State). She worked as a general practitioner from 1997 to 2005. After that, she worked as a research physician at a clinical research institution. Her career as a lecturer began in 2008 at the University of the Free State (UFS). While teaching undergraduate and postgraduate anatomy and physiology at the Faculty of Health Sciences, UFS, she developed an interest in first-year health sciences students’ quality of life and academic performance. She is passionate about teaching students the relevance of integrated anatomy and physiology and the clinical application in their prospective careers. In 2021, she received the Vice-Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Teaching and Learning (first place) at the UFS. In addition, she received the Khothatsa Award for being an inspirational lecturer. She was elected to serve on the SAAHE Central Council for the administration portfolio (2021-present).

Member: Rohan Slabbert

Institution: CUT

Bio:

Member: Benjamin Botha

Institution: UFS

Bennie is passionate about human-computer interaction and extended reality as a teaching and learning modality, especially for health sciences education. He serves on the Paray School of Nursing senate, the SAAHE central region counsel (Portfolio for ICT) and the SAAHE national counsel (Treasurer). He originally studied investment management and banking after which he switched to computer science as it was his biggest passion. He currently holds a B.Sc IT, B.Sc IT (Hons) and an M.Sc CSI degree. He is also a PhD CSI candidate. His dream is to expand health professionals’ knowledge in the area of extended reality technologies and the benefits they can have for students. He is  very passionate about his field and always want to share it with others.

Member: Alwyn Hugo

Institution: UFS

Alwyn Hugo is the IT manager of the Faculty of Health Sciences, University of the Free State.  He has a master’s degree in health professions education from the University of the Free State.  Alwyn’s interests in health professions education are teaching and learning technologies, digital literacy skills, learning ecosystems and curriculum responsiveness.