PsySSA Fellows

PsySSA President in 1996-1998 and 2006, Prof Saths Cooper, PhD is PsySSA’s 1st Fellow. The 1st non-medical/dental professional to become Vice President of the HPCSA, he is President of the International Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS) and the Pan-African Psychology Union (PAPU), of which PsySSA is a founding member. Hon Fellow of the British and Irish Psychological Societies – with whom PsySSA has MOUs – he is the recipient of numerous awards, including from IUPsyS, the International Association of Applied Psychology and the American Psychological Association. Vice President of the International Social Science Council (ISSC), he chairs the SA Board for the International Council for Science (ICSU) at the National Research Foundation.

After nine years as the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria, in 2019 Professor Cheryl de la Rey took up the position of Vice-Chancellor at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand.  Professor de la Rey is registered as a Research Psychologist by the Health Professions Council of South Africa, is a fellow of the Psychological Association of South Africa, a fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa and of the Academy of Science of South Africa. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in 1983 (with distinction in Psychology), Bachelor of Arts Honours (cum laude) in 1984 and Master of Arts (cum laude) in 1986 from the University of Natal and then obtained her PhD in psychology from the University of Cape Town in 1999. Her area of specialisation is Social Psychology. Having done her early research in intergroup relations, Prof De la Rey then focused on peace psychology and gender. As her career in higher education advanced, she undertook research in leadership, gender and higher education. Over the years she has published several journal articles, book chapters and edited books.

After nine years as the Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Pretoria, in 2019 Professor Cheryl de la Rey took up the position of Vice-Chancellor at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand.  Professor de la Rey is registered as a Research Psychologist by the Health Professions Council of South Africa, is a fellow of the Psychological Association of South Africa, a fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa and of the Academy of Science of South Africa. She obtained a Bachelor of Arts in 1983 (with distinction in Psychology), Bachelor of Arts Honours (cum laude) in 1984 and Master of Arts (cum laude) in 1986 from the University of Natal and then obtained her PhD in psychology from the University of Cape Town in 1999. Her area of specialisation is Social Psychology. Having done her early research in intergroup relations, Prof De la Rey then focused on peace psychology and gender. As her career in higher education advanced, she undertook research in leadership, gender and higher education. Over the years she has published several journal articles, book chapters and edited books.

Prof Chabani Manganyi is a Senior Research Fellow and former vice chancellor of the University of Pretoria. A clinical psychologist, he is the author and editor of several collections of essays on psychology and public affairs as well as the collected letters of Es’kia Mphahlele, his biography as well as those of Gerard Sekoto and Dumile Feni.

A triple doctorate, Kobus Maree (past and present editor or deputy editor of a number of scholarly journals) has received multiple awards for his work in Africa. A B1 rated researcher, he has authored or co-­authored 100+ peer-­reviewed articles and 60+ books/ book chapters on career counselling and related topics since 2009. In the same period, he supervised 30 doctoral theses and Master’s dissertations and read keynote papers at 20+ international and at 20+ national conferences. Kobus, who has spent much time abroad as a visiting professor in various countries, was awarded a fellowship of the IAAP in 2014.

Professor Josephine Cecilia Naidoo completed her undergraduate degrees in the Republic of South Africa. She received her M.A. and Ph.D. in Social Psychology from the University of Illinois. Her academic career has been primarily spent at Wilfrid Laurier University, Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. At the point of her retirement in July 1997, she was Full Professor of Psychology. Professor Naidoo has been engaged in research on South Asian women in Canada, multicultural issues, race relations and Asian/African indigenous psychology. In the late 80’s and early 90’s, Professor Naidoo was an invited member of Federal Government studies on the mental health of immigrants/refugees and intercultural/interracial education in Canada. She has served as Secretary-General of the International Association for Cross-Cultural Psychology, the main professional organisation in her area of expertise. Prof Josephine Naidoo was awarded Fellowship at the 24^th Annual Psycholoy Congress in 2018.

Professor Anthony Pillay is in the Department of Behavioural Medicine at the UKZN Medical School & Fort Napier Hospital. He is a Harvard graduate and has held Visiting appointments at the Boston Children’s Hospital in the US and at the University of Mauritius. He is the Editor-in-Chief of the South African Journal of Psychology, and Associate Editor of the Journal of Child & Adolescent Mental Health. Prof Anthony Pillay was awarded Fellowship at the PsySSA 25th Anniversary Congress.

Ann Watts is a clinical psychologist whose area of work is neuropsychology.  She is a Past President of PsySSA and currently chairs Standing Committee on International Relations.  Ann is also a Past President of the International Neuropsychological Society and the SA Clinical Neuropsychological Association. She is Secretary General of the International Union of Psychological Science (IUPsyS) and Treasurer of the Pan African Psychology Union. Ann serves on WHO’s International Advisory Group for the Revision of the International Classification of Diseases – 10th Revision (ICD-10) and their Consultation Group on the Classification of Behavioural and Psychological Symptoms in Neurocognitive Disorders for ICD-11.