Dr Shabalala will participate in the highly competitive national initiative that aims to nurture and advance a next-generation professoriate, generating knowledge embedded in local challenges, connected globally. Her research focuses on water and wastewater treatment, acid mine drainage remediation, and climate resilience and adaptation.
She has presented her research at local and international conferences, and she has published her work in various accredited journals. In 2023, Dr Shabalala graduated from Haaga-Helia University of Applied Sciences (Finland) with a postgraduate qualification in Vocational Teacher Education and received the Emerging Faculty Researcher Award from UMP in the same year.
Dr Shabalala is a recipient of the Water Research Commission water technologies demonstration programme grant and is an NRF Thuthuka grant holder in the post-PhD track. Her long-term contribution to the future of academia will include researching the development of low-cost and low-maintenance technologies for polluted mine waters, designing and implementing green infrastructure solutions that can act as buffers against risks arising from climate change, and providing a well-rounded learning experience for students.
“The Future Professors Programme will provide much-needed support to achieve these goals, and I am filled with excitement and determination to seize this opportunity," she said.
Her research interests include surface and groundwater resources evaluation, acid mine drainage treatment, the impact of mining on agriculture, and the socioeconomic impacts of mine closure.
In her research, she investigates the application of pervious concrete-reactive barrier treatment technology to manage polluted mine water from abandoned mines. She has successfully demonstrated that the use of this treatment technology not only cleans up contaminated water but also provides for the reclamation of disused land due to mining. Furthermore, her research has shown that treated mine water can be reused for beneficial purposes such as agriculture.
Dr Shabalala is among the young researchers who are steadily building their profiles within the STEM field.
This is the fourth FPP award to UMP, following the selection of Dr Mduduzi Ndlovu, Prof Gordon O’Brien, and Dr Julia Giddy in previous rounds.
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