I am presently a full Professor of Microbiology at North-West University, Potchefstroom campus, North-West. I worked as a Senior Researcher at the Agricultural Research Council between 2011 and 2019. I obtained my PhD degree from the University of Pretoria, Department of Microbiology and Plant Pathology. I am an alumnus of the Borlaug fellowship programme at Cornell University as well as a Canadian government commonwealth scholarship beneficiary. I am C1 rated researcher.

I would describe myself as a physical geographer with a detailed understanding of atmospheric sciences and geomorphology. However, I have a deep appreciation of human geography and its impact on the physical part of geography. The title of my MSc study was “Quantifying particulate emissions from domestic burning in the KwaDela Township, Mpumalanga”.

Frank is a German citizen and came to SA as part of the Excellence Programme of the German Academy of Natural Scientists Leopoldina investigating waterborne uranium migration in mining areas of Germany, South Africa, Australia and Namibia.

Piketh obtained his Phd in Geography and Environmental studies at the University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg in 2000.   He was appointed as a full professor at North-West University in 2012  as Co-Chair of the Eskom Power Plant Institute (EPPEI) in the School of Geo and Spatial Science and as Director of this School in June of 2015. He is currently a NRF B-rated Scientist and a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa.

Kobus van der Walt joined the Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education as lecturer in the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies in 1990.  In 1993 he obtained a Ph.D.