CBC April Graduation 2024

*Top: Dr Baso-Mdiza with Julie Coetzee, Dr de Beer with Sean Moore and Martin Hill; Bottom: Wayne Mommsen with Sean Moore and Martin Hill, and Dr Wolmarans. Gretha van Staden graduated in absentia.*

Last week on the 4^th and 5^th of April 2024, five Centre for Biological Control graduates crossed the stage. Two of them graduated with their master’s degrees and three became Doctors after their long research journeys. We are very proud of all of them and would like to congratulate them on their achievements. Graduates and their thesis titles are below.

MSc Graduates

MOMMSEN, Wayne Trevor, BSc (RAU), BScHons (UJ), in Entomology, in the Department of Zoology and Entomology. Degree by thesis. Thesis: Managing releases of Anagyrus vladimiri (Triapitsyn) to augment biocontrol of the citrus mealybug Planococcus citri (Risso) in South African citrus orchards. Supervisor: Distinguished Professor MP Hill. Co-supervisor: Professor S Moore (CRI).

VAN STADEN, Gretha, BScHons (NWU), in Entomology, in the Department of Zoology and Entomology. Degree by thesis. Thesis: Developing a community of practice to promote the use of biological control in the integrated management of Prosopis in South Africa. Supervisor: Distinguished Professor MP Hill. Co-supervisors: Ms K Weaver and Mr P Ivey.

PhD Graduates

BASO, Nompumelelo Catherine, MSc (Rhodes), in Botany, in the Department of Botany. Degree by thesis. Thesis: The Enemy Release Hypothesis and beyond: Lagarosiphon major invasion dynamics and management options for New Zealand using native natural enemies from South Africa. Supervisor: Professor JA Coetzee.

DE BEER, Ernst Friedrich Ludwig, MSc (NWU), in Entomology, in the Department of Zoology and Entomology. Degree by thesis. Thesis: Augmentation of Aphytis melinus DeBach Hymenoptera: Aphelinidae) for the control of California red scale Aonidiella aurantii Maskell (Hemiptera: Diaspididae) on citrus. Supervisor: Distinguished Professor MP Hill. Co-supervisor: Professor S Moore.

WOLMARANS, Abigail, MSc (NWU), in Entomology, in the Department of Zoology and Entomology. Degree by thesis. Thesis: Developing biological control agents for the management of the invasive tree Robinia pseudoacacia. Supervisor: Dr GD Martin. Co-supervisor: Dr P Weyl (CABI).