Prof. Mary Scholes

Professor Mary Scholes, a graduate of the University of the Witwatersrand, is currently a full professor in the School of Animal, Plant and Environmental Sciences and serves as the Assistant Dean for Postgraduate Studies in the Faculty of Science. Her research activities focus on soil fertility and biogeochemistry in savannas, plantation forests and croplands. Her research activities are covered by an endowment from Sappi (a forestry company). Funding is also obtained from THRIP, and the NRF. She serves as the vice-chairperson for the Board of Trustees for the International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), an international tropical agricultural research institute based in Cali, Colombia, funded by the World Bank. Her research interests in biogeochemistry have resulted in her being elected to four international science steering committees, including serving as the Secretary General for the Scientific Council on Problems in the Environment. These activities involve extensive collaborative research with a number of overseas and local institutes. She serves as the Director of the Wits Institute for the Study of the Environment and coordinates a Master’s degree in Environmental Science, which is offered across three faculties (Science, Law and Engineering) at Wits. Her publication record includes authoring 28 book chapters and 80 refereed journal articles. She serves on a number of editorial boards and acts as a reviewer for the NSF, NRF and CHE. Prof Scholes is actively involved in undergraduate and postgraduate teaching and in 1994 and 1995 was awarded the Science Faculty and the Vice-Chancellors Distinguished Lecturers’ awards. In 2000, she was awarded the Vice-Chancellors Research Award and in 2002 she was elected as a foreign member of the Swedish Academy of Agriculture and Forestry. In 2004, she was elected as a fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa and a member of the Academy of Science of South Africa. She serves on a range of University committees, including Senate and the Graduate Studies Committee. She is currently focusing her attention on postgraduate enrichment activities at Wits.