UKZN Professors Honoured with Prestigious Awards

UKZN Professors Honoured with Prestigious Awards

UKZN’s Professor Kovin Naidoo and Professor Vanessa Moodley have received awards for their exceptional service and dedication to the optometry profession.

The academics received the accolades at the 100^th anniversary celebrations of the South African Optometric Association (SAOA) during its grand Centennial Conference and Celebrations. The event celebrated a century of achievements in optometry and highlighted outstanding contributions to the field.

Naidoo received the SAOA Centennial Celebration Community Service Award in recognition of his remarkable dedication to providing eye care to underserved communities. ‘I am thrilled to receive this award,’ said Naidoo. ‘It is recognition that highlights the importance of our cause which is to make refractive services – eye examinations and glasses – available to everyone.’

He emphasised the significance of ensuring that poor vision did not limit anyone’s ability to learn, earn or experience a good quality of life.

Naidoo, who currently serves as the Global Head of Advocacy and Partnerships for OneSight EssilorLuxottica, has a rich history of involvement with UKZN having been a full-time lecturer and now serving as an honorary academic, teaching in the postgraduate programme and supervising numerous research projects.

Moodley was awarded the Centennial Celebration Academic Excellence Award for her outstanding leadership, professional competence and significant accomplishments in academia over a sustained period. ‘I hold my professional peers in high regard and to have them recognise my contribution to the profession with this award is truly a humbling experience,’ she said.

Moodley reflected on the early challenges of transforming eye healthcare, highlighting efforts to amend the regulatory framework, transform university curricula, and integrate optometrists into the public health sector. ‘Collective efforts have certainly led to a largely transformed optometry profession today. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to contribute and, more importantly, to have worked with and learned extensively from so many highly skilled, committed colleagues and mentors,’ she said.

Beyond her academic duties, Moodley has served as chairperson of the Professional Board for Optometry and Dispensing Opticians for two terms, education chairperson of the African Council for Optometry, and was on the World Council for Optometry (WCO) Legislation and Regulation Committee.

Currently, she serves on the WCO Education Committee.

The Discipline of Optometry at UKZN played a significant role in the conference. Academic Leader Dr Naimah Khan delivered a podium presentation titled: Oral Dry Eye Supplements. Said Khan: ‘It was an honour to be part of the 100-year celebrations for the South African Optometric Association. The conference brought together the eye care community and showcased the talent and expertise we have in South Africa.’

The conference also saw the official launch of the South African Optometric Students Association (SAOSA), with four UKZN undergraduate students representing the University. Three UKZN PhD students, Ms Lungile Buthelezi, Ms Shivani Naipal, and Ms Seyuri Bisetty, along with MOptom student Ms Zaahira Jogee, presented four academic posters, while Dr Rayishnee Pillay, a post-doctoral student, delivered a podium presentation.

UKZN Optometry proudly recognises the contributions of its alumni to the eye care industry, with Ms Nivien Subramany, a UKZN graduate, serving as the current president of the SAOA.

The conference attracted optometrists and dispensing opticians from all over the country and featured a comprehensive educational programme that included presentations, workshops, panel discussions, and poster presentations. The event provided participants with valuable opportunities to engage with esteemed international and national speakers, encouraging growth and innovation in the field of optometry.

Words: Nombuso Dlamini

Photographs: Supplied