The Team

Dr Priscilla Mensah

Position: Director

Prior to joining Mandela University, she was Director in the Human and Infrastructure Capacity Development Directorate of the National Research Foundation (NRF). She held several positions at the University of the Free State including Deputy-Director: International Academic Programmes and Deputy Director of the Postgraduate School. She served as Director for the three consecutive summer schools of the Southern African Young Scientist Summer Programme (SA-YSSP) in Applied Systems Analysis hosted at the University of the Free State from 2012-2015. A key research output from this programme was the book Systems Analysis Approach for Complex Global Challenges, published by Springer in 2018 and for which she was managing editor. She has extensive knowledge of South Africa’s Higher Education and Training landscape and the National System of Innovation. She is a specialist in systems analysis with specific emphasis on science and policy within South Africa and beyond. She holds Masters and Doctoral degrees in Chemistry from the University of Cape Town.

Imtiaz Khan

Position: Manager

Prior to joining the Office of Research Development (ORD) in September 2011, Imtiaz was employed as the Faculty of Health Science's Research, Technology and Innovation administrator for a period of one and a half years.

The initial position held at ORD was that of an External Scholarship liaison; in October 2016, he was promoted to Manager. Imtiaz has received numerous institutional, national and international awards in recognition for his excellent work ethic and for his persistence, resilience and the seamless way he does over and beyond what is expected of him.

The core focus of his job is to provide support and management of Emerging Researchers, Research Ethics and External Masters and Doctoral Postgraduate Scholarships. Imtiaz’s portfolio interfaces with the internally funded postgraduate scholarships portfolio, the International office as well as the Office for Research Support and Management, with the aim to support early career academics and postgraduate students. It also provides project management support in relation to externally funded projects.

Imtiaz’s motto is to “Work hard, be inspiring and competitive, and always try and make a positive impact in people’s lives". He firmly believes that happiness is increased when success is shared.

Tozama Mnonopi

Position: Postgraduate Admin Officer

Tozama has worked in the Office of Research Development since late 2013. Her prime role is the administration of postgraduate research scholarships, internal and external bursaries for Honours students.

Tozama completed both her undergraduate and postgraduate studies at Nelson Mandela University and holds a Masters in Sociology, her research focus being postgraduate funding. She has completed a number of other short courses including Leadership and Team-Building Skills, Coaching as well as Competence and Understanding of HIV/AIDs. Tozama plans to continue and complete her doctorate in the future. 

Tozama has a fundamental belief in respect and this underpins her interactions with Nelson Mandela University students.

Annette Denakie

Position: Secretary

Annette provides secretarial function to the Office of Research Development. She manages the refund administration for Masters and Doctoral students as well as the financial administration for the office. In her supporting role to the Director: Research Development, Annette strives to perform her duties with utmost proficiency. Her strong interpersonal skills allow her to be adaptable; She is assertive and possesses excellent facilitation and problem-solving skills which helps her to run and maintain a smooth-running office.

Jadine Januarie

Position: Research Development Administrator

Jadine has been with the Office of Research Development for over 5 years. Her main responsibility within the team is the co-ordination of the training and workshop schedules as well as assisting with the administration of internal grants. 

Jadine studied at Nelson Mandela University and has a Masters in Counselling Psychology with her specific research interest being Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. She would love to complete her doctorate in this field in the future.

Jolindon Petersen

Position: Administrative Research Assistant

Jolindon started in the Office of Research Development as an intern in 2014; prior to this he worked in the Centre for Access Assessment and Research (CAAR) for 4 years after completing his BA (Honours) in Social Science at Nelson Mandela University.

Jolindon is responsible for the Research Development Facebook page, as well as assisting with bursary administrative matters, workshops and capacity development for Honours students.

He is passionate about student development and engagement and loves applying himself to diverse situations to foster a dynamic working environment, bringing positivity to each situation and keeping in mind that the goal is always to render a vibrant work atmosphere as well as provide a service to our stakeholders, the staff and students of Nelson Mandela University.

Jolindon always has a willingness to assist and go the extra mile in servicing both our staff and students with their different needs and concerns related to research- and funding- related opportunities in order to further their research and academic careers.

Carmen Stindt

Position: Statistical Consultant

Carmen has been with the Unit for Statistical Consultation (USC) since 2019. She is a Nelson Mandela University alumni, having completed a BCom in Economics and Statistics (Cum Laude), a BCom Honours in Mathematical Statistics (Cum Laude) and a MCom in Statistics Research (Cum Laude).

Currently, she is busy with her PhD in Mathematical Statistics specialising in structural equation modelling and aiming to complete this in 2022. Prior to joining the unit, Carmen worked in the corporate world in supply chain analysis.

Her role is to assist postgraduate students and staff with the statistical analysis required for their research degrees.  For more information on the services provided by our statistical consultants, visit the Unit for Statistical Consultation website.

Welma van Heerden

Position: Postdoctoral Administrative Assistant

Welma joined the Research Development team in June 2022 and assists with the administration of postdoctoral fellowships managed by the Office of Research Development.

Prior to joining the team, Welma was employed in the private financial sector; this experience has assisted her to implement additional systems and controls to manage this funding and support programme efficiently.

Lisakhanya Mhletywa

Position: Administrative Assistant

Lisakhanya is the newest addition to the RD team.  She completed her Bachelor of Arts majoring in Public Administration and Political Studies at Nelson Mandela University, after which she completed her Bachelor of Administration Honours in Public Administration at UNISA. 

She is energetic and passionate, and finds interest in both reading and outdoor activities. She hopes to find inspiration, innovation and a community within the Research Development Office, in which she will be assisting with administrative issues and the coordination of workshops organised by the Office.

Dr Ronica Ramsout

Position: nGAP Manager

Ronica is an accomplished scientist with over a decade of expertise in the tertiary sector. Her dual qualifications in Chemistry (PhD, UCT, 2012) and Information Systems Management (BCom Honours, UCT, 2021) have been honed across prominent South African institutions.

A champion of research efficiency, Dr Ramsout leverages technology to streamline processes and empower knowledge sharing. Her diverse skillset encompasses systems thinking, research methodology, data analysis, scientific writing and project management.

Mpho Mbanjwa

Position: Administrative Assistant

Mpho recently joined the Research and Development office as an Administrative Assistant. She worked as a Writing Respondent with the Academic Literacies Writing Programme (ALWP) within the Learning Development Department from 2021.

She is a Mandela Alumni, where she studied for a BA, then continued to do Honours in Anthropology and a Masters in Anthropology (Research), focusing on reproductive health. She is passionate about social research topics related to health, particularly issues with access to vital resources and services. She hopes to explore further and develop the analytical elements within the research sphere.

In her role at Research Development, Mpho hopes to offer support and assistance to students rooted in empathy and efficiency, especially with support related to securing funding opportunities and completing their studies successfully.

Simangele Shezi

Position: Research Ethics Manager

Simangele brings a robust background in research ethics and administration to her role at Nelson Mandela University. Prior to joining the institution, she honed her research management expertise during a tenure of over six years at the University of KwaZulu-Natal's Research Office. Initially part of the Publications Cluster, she focused on managing research outputs. During her time as the Senior Administrative Officer at UKZN from June 2021 to June 2024, she demonstrated exceptional skills in staff supervision, training, ethics review processes, national research ethics audits, and Research Ethics Committees administration.

Simangele studied at UKZN and holds a Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Social Sciences (Honors), and a Master of Population Studies with a specialization in population and health. She is actively engaged in the national research ethics community through organizations like the Southern African Research and Innovation Management Association (SARIMA) and the Research Ethics Committee Association of Southern Africa (REASA). Her academic excellence has been recognized through various awards, and she is a distinguished member of the Golden Key International Honour Society, reserved for the top 15% of students in their courses.

She is currently pursuing a PhD at UKZN which explores the socioeconomic repercussions of the COVID-19 pandemic on households. Her research also evaluates government's social protection measures aimed at assisting communities during challenging times. Simangele's unwavering dedication to research ethics is evident in her commitment to fostering a culture of integrity and responsibility within the university community.

Anathi Stedi

Position: Ethics Administrator

Ms Anathi Stedi joined the Research Development team as Ethics Administrator on 01 December 2025. She brings strong experience from her previous role as Senior Research Administrator in the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences at Walter Sisulu University, where she coordinated research committees and supported capacity-building for emerging researchers. Ms Stedi holds a Postgraduate Diploma in Public Health from the University of Pretoria and a BA Honours in Development Studies from Nelson Mandela University. She is committed to strengthening research excellence and integrity and is passionate about fostering an enabling environment in which postgraduate students and researchers can thrive and produce meaningful, high-quality work.

Ian Christison

Position: Strategic Communications and Social Media Assistant

Ian is responsible for much of the graphic design and social media work for the department, having completed a BA in Graphic Design. He has a great appreciation for the history of design and the visual arts. Always ready to learn a new skill, he is the youngest member of the team but hopes to prove his ability despite his relative age.

Michelle Barnett

Position: MEOS Administrator

Michelle has been assisting the Office of Research Development in an administrative role since early 2020. Her main role is to assist with MEOS, the Mandela online ethics system, which is designed to streamline and facilitate the research ethics process from initial application to study closure.