Moses Fanyana Mtunzi

Biography:

Moses Fanyana Mtunzi holds a PhD in Chemistry from North-West University and an Advanced Diploma in Higher Education from the University of the Free State. He is a committed academic with extensive experience in both teaching and research. He joined Vaal University of Technology in 2008 after serving for four years as a lecturer at North-West University, Mafikeng Campus, South Africa. He has published 153 peer-reviewed journal articles and has successfully supervised six PhD graduates, co-supervised four PhD candidates, and hosted four postdoctoral fellows. In addition, he has supervised more than ten master’s students and over 80 B.Tech students. He is currently supervising four PhD and four master’s candidates. He is presently serving as the Acting Manager of the Institute of Chemical and Biotechnology (ICBT) at the Vaal University of Technology. Over the years, he has contributed to academic leadership as Research Coordinator in the Department of Chemistry for five years, member of the Faculty Research Committee, member of the Senate Library Committee, and Coordinator of Organic Chemistry within the department. He has also served as an external examiner for Master’s and PhD theses at several South African universities, including UNISA, UJ, WSU, UL, Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University, and the University of Zululand. His research focuses on phytochemistry and drug discovery. He has presented at more than 12 international and 20 national conferences. His research excellence has been recognized through several awards, including second and third positions in the VUT Faculty and University Research Awards (2016) and first position in the Faculty Research Awards (2020). From 2019 to 2021, he secured R1.23 million (R410,000 annually) in research funding from SASOL for a project on the removal of water contaminants using biomass. In 2018, he received R20,000 travel funding from the National Research Foundation (NRF) to present his research at a conference in Mauritius.