Nickey Janse van Rensburg

Nickey was born in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. She is a researcher in the Mechanical Engineering Science Department at the University of Johannesburg and manages a Technology Station with the mandate to support SMEs through knowledge transfer which supports the green economy. She holds an MSc in Mechanical Engineering Sciences (cum laude) from the North-West University.

As an academic she strives to find ways to integrate research and teaching activities in such a way to engage students to serve the community. She heads several initiatives to create the environments where scientific research, community engagement and student development can meet. She has a great passion for research and scientific investigation, and supports commercialisation, prototype development, and participates in the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning, driving social innovation through curriculum change. This research environment enables her to reach out to several stakeholders and to participate in a series of socio-technical research projects closely linked to local communities. In this regard, her research in the field of learning and teaching has led to collaboration with colleagues in a cross-disciplinary environment.