Prof. Nhlanhla Mkhize: DVC & HEAD OF THE COLLEGE
Prof Nhlanhla Mkhize, PhD, is the former Head of the School of Psychology and former Dean and former Head of the School of Applied Human Sciences at the University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa). He teaches modules on African Psychology & Ethics, concerning African philosophical underpinnings to ethics, and also touches on the interface between culture, health, and illness. He has been invited to give keynote addresses nationally and internationally on the subject of indigenous knowledge systems, morality/ethics, and the self. He has published journal articles and book chapters on cultural aspects of counseling, career counseling, African psychology, and ethics. He was a member of the International (African) Reference Group that participated in the revision of the International Code of Ethics for Occupational Health Therapists. Of late he has been interested in language and instruction and has been involved in isiZulu terminology development and translation for Psychology and other Social Sciences disciplines.

Prof Puleng Segalo: Chief Luthuli Research Chair, UNISA
Prof Puleng Segalo is the Chief Albert Luthuli Research Chair at the University of South Africa. She holds a multi-award-winning PhD in Psychology and is an active alumnus of the South African Young Academy of Sciences. In 2021/2022, she was the winner of the World Academy of Sciences (TWAS) award for popularising science. Prof Segalo is a National Research Foundation (NRF) rated scholar known for her work at the intersection of Public Health and Psychology. Her expertise lies in Africa-centred psychology, gender, trauma, and decolonial feminism in psychology. Prof Puleng Segalo’s research focuses on historical trauma, visual methodologies, and gendered suffering. She explores various aspects of marginalized voices and cultural narratives. Her specialized research, recognized for its innovation and insight, earned her the Chancellor’s Award for Excellence in Research in 2023. This high-impact research demonstrates her dedication to advancing knowledge and promoting social justice.

Simphiwe Mkhize: Lecturer at University of the Witwatersrand
Simphiwe Mkhize is recently appointed as a lecturer in South African Sign Language (SASL) in the School of Literature, Language and Media (SLLM) at Wits University. She is co-teaching modules in Deaf Culture and SASL linguistics. She has completed B.A(Hons) and Master of arts (MA) in SASL. Her main area of research is sociolinguistics, especially focusing on how Deaf people in South Africa adjust their styles of signing when interacting with people from different racial and cultural backgrounds. As a researcher, she hopes to improve the status of SASL by investigating its linguistic and sociolinguistic features, as there has been very little research on SASL. Prior to joining Wits, Simphiwe taught SASL in various contexts (executive members of a corporation, government employees, university students, and so on). Apart from teaching language skills, Simphiwe also educated people on the history and culture of Deaf people, as well as the importance of sign language interpreters, their code of conduct, and how to work with them. She has also facilitated so-called ‘sensitization’ workshops in which she taught hearing/able-bodied people how to communicate and interact with Deaf people and people with disabilities in general. Her aim has been to educate hearing people and empower Deaf people in South Africa.

SASL Interpreters: Mpho Teme and Lebogang Chauke