CUT continues to embrace excellence and acknowledge hard work. We kickstart the year by recognising Dr Elisha Didam Markus and Ms Janice Solomons for their perseverance.

Dr Elisha Markus joined CUT in 2013 as a Lecturer while pursuing his doctorate degree at Tshwane University of Technology in Pretoria. Upon completing his degree in 2016, he was promoted to Senior Lecturer position the following year and later in 2021 became Associate Professor in the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology. His area of research includes Control systems, Assistive Mobility Devices, Robotics, Wireless Sensor Networks, Internet of Things, Communication Systems, Energy Systems, and Artificial Intelligence.

“I have always been passionate about robotics and automation. I built my first automated system in 1996 while studying towards my B. Eng. degree. It was part of my project titled: ‘Automated microprocessor-based bottle filling system’. From there on, I pursued a master’s degree in Electronics Engineering, majoring in Communication Systems and Artificial Intelligence. I then enrolled for my doctorate in Control systems majoring in Robotics”.

Dr Markus mentioned that he is a people’s person who enjoys mentoring young people, so making a shift from the industry to academics became easy for him.

“What I like most about my current position is that it allows me to exercise my agency within my community of practice. I can be more impactful in mentoring my students and be a positive influence in society. Lecturing is a calling and very fulfilling if you have a purpose. To pursue a lecturing career, you must always ask yourself; “what am I good at?” and “what am I good for?”

He also mentioned that working with people can be both rewarding and challenging, especially in academia. “My academic journey has many scars from my encounters with people. However, this has made me stronger and more relentless in my career pursuit.

Asked how he feels about CUT as an employer, Dr Markus said he believes that CUT has many good policies that empower employees to prosper. “If you are willing to put in the work, the opportunities abound. There are many rewards for hard work. You must just be on the dance floor as “opportunity dances with those already on the dance floor,” It is very fulfilling when one’s hard work is being recognized and rewarded and CUT does exactly that”.

One of his aspirations is to make an impact in the research he is doing. “Currently, I am developing assistive mobility devices for the mobility impaired. I want my research to be able to assist persons with disabilities with state-of-the-art but cost-effective technological solutions. The fourth industrial revolution is disrupting the future. The world is becoming more and more connected with everything. Robots are here to stay and the only category of people that would survive the next five years are those that embrace technology.”

Ms Janice Solomons obtained her Master of Management Sciences in Tourism and Hospitality in 2020 and received an award for Best Masters student in 2020. She worked as a food and beverage Lecturer at the South African College for Tourism in Graaff -Reinet. She obtained a certificate with Honors from the American Hospitality Academy while completing an internship program in the United States of America. She worked as the Head Chef of Protea Hotels Willow Lake in Bloemfontein and has done an Intermediate cookery course at Ashburton Chefs Academy and the Cookery school in England. She is a Lecturer in Culinary Studies and the Lettuce Eat restaurant of the Faculty of Management Sciences at the Bloemfontein campus.

“I am a passionate entrepreneur and business-orientated professional Lecturer with 15- years of hands-on experience within the Hospitality and Tourism Industry. With my diverse communication and instructional skills, I help individuals to effectively comprehend and retain presented material. My gifted ability at capturing and holding the listener’s attention while delivering the information via different mediums contributes to the warm, supportive, and inclusive learning environment that I ensure while optimising student learning.”

Ms Janice said that as a child, she aspired to be a teacher and she is grateful to be living her dream. “I always wanted to work at the CUT Hotel School ever since I was a student back in 2001. CUT afforded me a platform to grow and enhance my skills and I was granted the opportunity to do cooking courses internationally. This is an amazing breakthrough for any chef. What I love most about my job is sharing my experiences with students and the ability to help them achieve greatness.”

She mentioned that Tourism and Hospitality Management has ample room for creativity and is at the forefront of change. “This is a very exciting field to specialize in”.

Her motto in life is derived from a bible verse that goes, “But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.

Caption

From left: Dr Elisha Didam Markus and Ms Janice Solomons.