Gratitude, Purpose, Capability Development and a Season of Recognition
We Rise by Lifting Others
At the heart of everything I try to do is a simple conviction: we do not grow by pulling ahead of others, but by helping others grow alongside us. This is the spirit behind a new book, Capabilities at Work: The Added Value of the Capability Model for Well-Being and Work, published by Cambridge University Press, which I co-edited with Prof. Jac van der Klink of Tilburg University. The book examines how the capability approach offers fresh ways to think about work, well-being, and social justice, arguing that work should not only provide income but also empower people to achieve their life goals, develop skills, and participate fully in society. This is not an abstract idea for me — it is the lens through which I have tried to build Optentia, guide students, and engage with the urgent realities of South African society, where meaningful work remains out of reach for so many.
A key theme running through the book is equity: that work should reduce disparities and foster inclusion across gender, socio-economic, and cultural divides. This resonates deeply with me. Research that does not reach people — that does not open doors, build capacity, or challenge structural barriers — falls short of its purpose. Whether it is mentoring a PhD student through their first publication, designing a Stats Camp to equip emerging researchers with tools they need, or exploring how we make young people more employable in an AI-driven world, the goal is always the same: to invest in others in ways that outlast any individual achievement.
A Season of Recognition
It has been a humbling 18 months — a period marked not by fanfare, but by quiet reflection on what it means to do work that truly matters. Three recognitions have arrived in this time, each unexpected and each carrying more weight than any title or rating could capture on its own. I receive them not as personal trophies, but as reminders that purposeful, people-centred research does find its way forward — and as encouragement to keep going.
NRF B1 Rating
The National Research Foundation recently awarded a B1 rating — a designation for researchers whose work has achieved international recognition for quality and impact. More than a milestone, it served as a reminder of why the work matters in the first place: not for the rating itself, but for the doors it might open for others and the questions it keeps alive.
NWU Alumni Award for Research
In October 2025, the North-West University honoured me with its Alumni Award for Research. To be recognised by the very institution where so much of my own formation happened — where I arrived as a young student on a three-day train journey from Windhoek and slowly learned what it means to grow through the guidance of others — made the recognition feel particularly meaningful. The NWU didn't only shape what I know; it shaped how I think about people, work, and belonging. Receiving that award felt less like an individual achievement and more like a conversation with the community that made it possible.
Research.com Ranking
Most recently, Research.com included me in its 2026 ranking of leading psychology scientists in South Africa — an acknowledgement I share with remarkable colleagues whose work continues to push the boundaries of what psychological research can contribute to society.
Looking Ahead
The recognition of the last 18 months is meaningful to me precisely because it feels like a reflection of collective effort — of people who believed in this work, contributed to it, and carried it forward together. None of this happens in isolation. Research is, at its heart, a collective endeavour. I am deeply grateful to my colleagues, students, mentors, and the institutions that have invested in this work. If these recognitions mean anything, I hope it is that they encourage others to stay the course in their own — and that they are a reminder that we truly do rise by lifting others.
