November 27, 2012

Thoko Mayekiso

Professor Thoko Mayekiso  is the Deputy Vice-Chancellor:  Research and Engagement at the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) with effect from 1 May 2009.   She obtained her BA, BA Honours and MA in Psychology from the University of Fort Hare. She then obtained a D Phil (Cum laude) from the Free University of Berlin, Germany. She is registered as a Clinical Psychologist with the Health Professions Council of South Africa (HPCSA).  

Professor Mayekiso has served in the following capacities at the then University of Transkei (now Walter Sisulu University): Senior Lecturer, Associate Professor, Professor and Head of the Department of Psychology, and thereafter as Vice Dean of Arts.  In 2001 she joined the University of the Witwatersrand in the capacity of Head of School of Human & Community Development, and subsequently became Deputy Dean and Acting Executive Dean of the Faculty of Humanities in 2006. She proceeded to the Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University (NMMU) where she was appointed as Executive Dean: Faculty of Arts in 2007.

Her academic Scholarships include a DAAD (German Academic Exchange Scholarship), a Commonwealth Scholarship tenable at Leicester General Hospital and Greenwood Institute of Child Health in the United Kingdom and the South African Universities’ Vice Chancellors Association/American Council of Education fellowship tenable at the University of Washington, Seattle, USA.  She serves as the Board Member of the Children’s Institute at the University of Cape Town, Emthonjeni Centre at the University of Witwatersran,  the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) and  the Institute for Co-operatives Development.  She has a track record both as a researcher and a mentor especially in the areas of HIV/AIDS, poverty, adolescent adjustment problems and child abuse and neglect. She has supervised many postgraduate students especially at Masters and Doctoral levels.

She has served on review panels of research entities and programmes at a number of universities and science councils.  She also serves as external examiner for several universities, examining Masters dissertations and Doctoral theses. Furthermore, she has written a number of articles in accredited journals nationally and internationally, presented papers at national and international conferences, and contributed to the writing of book chapters.