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A WSU Master of Science in Physiology and Anatomy, Siphosethu Mgwili, has made it to the finals of the highly competitive FameLab South Africa competition, capturing the attention of science enthusiasts and researchers alike.
Mgwili, whose research focuses on ground-breaking prosthetic leg inventions, has successfully demonstrated the ability to communicate complex scientific concepts to the public in an engaging and accessible manner.
“What I find fascinating about this competition is the challenge of explaining my research in simple terms that even a child can understand, while still preserving the core aspects of the science. You don't want to oversimplify it to the point where the significance is lost,” said Mgwili.
She added that the competition is helping her, as her invention is aimed at supporting people with disabilities and those from disadvantaged backgrounds. It enables her to communicate her invention to the intended audience effectively.
“Explaining the invention to these groups requires a different approach than when presenting it to an educated audience, although even educated individuals sometimes struggle to grasp its purpose. This competition is preparing me to bridge that gap and take the invention from the lab to the people,” said Mgwili.
Mgwili mentioned that she often finds it challenging to explain her profession and invention to others. However, advancing through the various stages of the competition to the finals is helping her learn how to effectively communicate these concepts in a way that people can understand their purpose and significance.
“My main goal in this competition is to ensure that the target audience understands the invention so they can advocate for its use. Without their support, the invention holds no value. Being a finalist brings me closer to achieving my goal of making my intervention more accessible and easier to understand.,” said Mgwili.
Mgwili concluded by saying that this is also a chance for her to promote the invention, allowing the various groups she presents to learn about it and share the information within their networks.
Master of Science in Zoology, Nasiphi Mduzulwana who pushed through to the semi-finals, said: “ Being a semi-finalist for me means one thing, I put myself out there. I challenged myself and saw it through. I believe this will motivate me to speak on my current project and more projects effectively and make a difference to the scientific community and to communities in general.”
She added that the journey for her has been surreal and eye-opening. She mentioned that there’s more than one way of communicating science and research and she is happy she got to experience that.
By Anita Roji
