CSIR Optics Student Chapter Annual Report Year: 2015/16 Introduction The student chapter comprises the student members of the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (CSIR) National Laser Center. The name of the student chapter is CSIR Optics Student Chapter (OSC) and its operations were coordinated by a committee that was elected democratically towards the end of 2015. This committee started the year with the following members Mr. Teboho Bell (the President: Phd Candidate), Mr. Loyiso Maweza (the Vice President: Phd Candidate), Mr. Chemist Mabena (the Treasurer: Phd Candidate), Chwayita Madikizela (the Secretary: M.Sc Candidate), Mr. Lebogang Thobakgale (the Outreach officer). After a sterling contribution, Mr. Thobakgale requested to be relieved of his duties because of his increasingly demanding academic program. Reluctantly we released him and Mr. Charles Maphanga (an MSc Candidate) took over, a replacement that proved be the best one because his contribution was worth noting. Almost immediately, we noticed that we contravened one of the constitutional clauses that an office bearer cannot hold a committee position for more than two years. The then president decided to relinquish his position and Mr. Maweza was elected in his place. Mr. Teboho Bell then assumed the vice president position. The committee and the student chapter as a whole were advised operationally and academically by Dr. Angela Dudely who is a Senior Researcher at NLC and alumni of the student chapter. Financially, the student chapter was advised by Mr. Cobus Jacobs also an experienced researcher at NLC. The student chapter benefitted immensely from the experience these individuals even though they did not interfere in our activities, but advised and contributed heavily when called upon.
Names, email addresses, and Member numbers of elected Officers. Table 1.: Members of the student chapter that are registered with Spie First Name Last Name Email1 1 Bereneice Sephton Bsephton@csir.co.za 2 Chwayita Madikizela Cmadikizela@csir.co.za 3 Lucas Gailele LGailele@csir.co.za 4 Mosima Kgomo Mkgomo@csir.co.za 5 Nkutwane Makoana Nmakoana@csir.co.za 6 Parmela Khumalo PAKhumalo@csir.co.za 7 Prince Mredlana pmredlana@csir.co.za 8 Bathusile Masina bmasina@csir.co.za 9 Charles Maphanga cmaphang@csir.co.za 10 Daniel Morris dmorris@csir.co.za 11 Setumo Thobakgale lthobakgale@csir.co.za 12 Loyiso Maweza lmaweza@csir.co.za 13 Masixole Lugongolo mlugongolo@csir.co.za 14 Rudzani Malabi rmalabi@csir.co.za 15 Tsholofelo Malatji 16 Pieter du Toit 17 Christopher Orji List of current Student Chapter Members. Table 2 lists the current CSIR Optics Student Chapter Executive Committee Members. These students met once every week to ensure that all the planned activities were carried out and were running smoothly. Their task was to plan for the activities that would be coming up and select a team from the chapter members that will carry them out. Table 2.: The members of the 2015/16 Student Chapter Executive committee. First Name Last Name Email1 Portfolio Loyiso Maweza lmaweza@csir.co.za President Teboho Bell tbell@csir.co.za Vice President Chemist Mabena cmabena@csir.co.za Treasurer Chwayita Madikizela Cmadikizela@csir.co.za Secretary Charles Maphanga cmaphang@csir.co.za Outreach Officer Through the leadership of every member of this team, the student chapter managed to reach quite a wide area in South Africa as the activities will show here under. The new executive committee that has already been elected is listed in table 3.
Table 3.: The members of the current 2016/17 Student Chapter Executive committee. First Name Last Name Email1 Portfolio Daniel Morris dmorris@csir.co.za President Chwayita Madikizela Cmadikizela@csir.co.za Vice President Nkutwane Makoana Nmakoana@csir.co.za Treasurer Bereneice Sephton Bsephton@csir.co.za Secretary Lucas Gailele LGailele@csir.co.za Outreach Officer This team is the one that is taking the student chapter forward into 2017. We hope that the plans we made will bring forth wonderful outcomes. Details of Chapter activities since last report. To describe the activities on which this year s financial support to the student chapter was spent on we present the following stepwise table. Table 3 lists categorically all the activities we embarked on in the year 2016. Table 3a.: The Inhouse activities of the student chapter that were carried out at the NLC premises. CSIR Optics Student Chapter Activities. In house Activities: Date Comments Seasonal Gatherings 2016 02 16 First social gathering SAIP2016 Trial run Presentations Elective Seasonal (Spring) Gatherings 2016 06 29 Iron sharpens iron, just before going to SAIP 2016. We spent R1400.00 for this event. 2016 09 09 Elections and appreciation of people s contributions to CSIR OSC. Members were granted certificates of appreciation. R1550.00 was spent for this event. Table 3b.: The activities in which CSIR OSC interacted with universities in South Africa. CSIR Optics Student Chapter Activities. Univesrity Programmes Date Comments Lab visits by University of Pretoria Physics Students 2016 02 16 Lab tours A comprehensive annual visit by 2016 06 29 Lab experiments for Tshwane University of Technology evaluations (South Africa) students studying Industrial Physics. CSIR Optics Student Chapter Award Sponsorship at the 2016 South African Institute Physics (SAIP 2016) Conference. 2016 07 (04 08) The SAIP 2016 Award was sponsored: R3000.00
Table 3c.: The activities in which CSIR OSC interacted with High Schools in South Africa out of her own initiative and planning as well as by invitation. CSIR Optics Student Chapter Activities. High School Programmes Date Comments Siza Career Exhibition 2016 02 16 500 learners were reached and we spent R1250.00to achieve that. Ma E US Embassy Outreach 40 learners. Transport was Collaboration provided Leondale Eskom Expo For Young Scientists. Soshanguve High School Lab Launch. R2150.00 was spent for the trip to officiate and judge the participating learners in the Eskom expo for young scientists. 2016 08 19 CSIR OSC participated and demonstrated experiments in a lab opening event in one of the high schools in Gauteng province (South Africa). We spent R1250.00 Figure 1.: Ma E US Embassy Outreach Collaboration where we a Career exhibition was and about 500 pupils from Benoni together with their teachers were exposed to experiment demonstration and careers in Optics and Photonics mainly in South Africa.
Figure 2.: The COSC participated in a lab opening event in one of the high schools in Gauteng province (South Africa) Table 3d.: Here the CSIR OSC participated in the nationally instituted activities for the whole of South Africa and Africa as a whole. CSIR Optics Student Chapter Activities. National Programmes Date Comments National Science Week: 10 13 2016 02 16 We spent R32033.02 for travel, August 2016 accommodation, subsistence and travel to reach 1222 learners in Limpopo. The trip was African Laser Center (ALC) Free State Schools Outreach 2016 06 29 No expenses by the chapter 100 BEST Matric learners of 2016 02 16 No expenses by the chapter Africa visit CSIR Labs as selected by the DST, SAASTA.
Table 3e. The miles stones reached by the student chapter and her members. Additional CSIR Optics Student Chapter Highlights. Date Comments The former CSIR OSC President attended February 2016 The trip was the Photonics West conference. He published a conference and a journal Spie with all paper following this conference. He wrote expenses paid. few more other papers that are published in reputable journals. Several members of the student chapter July 2016 The Trip was attended the South African Institute of Physics 2016 Conference where they NLC with all presented talks and posters. expenses paid. Sending a CSIR OSC officer to the October 2016 The Trip was Leadership conference in Rochester, USA. OSA with all expenses paid. The CSIR OSC President attending the ASSL November 2016 The was Conference in Boston, USA. He published a conference paper and is submitting a NLC with all journal paper following this conference. expenses paid. He is submitting another journal paper as well. Several of members in the Additive November 2016 The trip was Manufacturing research attend the 2016 RAPDASA International Conference and NLC presented talks and posters there. Several of members from the BioPhotonics have written quality papers for reputable journals. Their work is actually ground breaking and almost the first in South Africa.
Details of planned activities for the future. Table 4.: The activities listed here have been planned for the coming year 2017 Tentative Dates Estimated Costs Outreach to three local districts (Attrigeville, Rarankoa, and Bonkonspruit) Attending SciFest 2017, a Weeklong National Science Festival to exhibit the science we do Two day Long Road Show raising Photonics Awareness in North West Province Invite Sol Plaatjie University: Physics Students to our laboratory visit. Attending SAIP 2017 in Stellenbosch University in the Western Cape Invite MEDUNSA Students for lab visit National Science Week Outreach: Long Distance March and April 2017 3 R2000 = R6000.00 March 2017 R15000.00 May 2017 R12000.00 June 2017 R2000.00 July 2017 R30 000.00 July 2017 R2000.00 August 2017 R35000.00 Invite 2 International lecturers June and October 2017 R30000 Establish Communication and Publicity Platforms February 2017 R1000.00 Total 2017 R11800.00 Financial information. 1. Beginning balance: R6702.73 2. Funds raised and expended (indicate amounts and source/destination): o OSA: R27 943.00 o ALC: R30 000.00 3. Details of SPIE funding received. We received a travel grant for the Photonics west conference only. 4. Other funding sources (please specify): None. 5. Ending balance: ~R15000.00 6. US chapters are asked to include their Tax ID, if applicable.