Philiswa Nomngongo

Professor

University of Johannesburg

Johannesburg, South Africa

1 profile visitResearcher

My research career is in environmental analytical chemistry and nanotechnology, aiming to solve environmental problems related to water quality.

My organisation

University of Johannesburg

University

Johannesburg, South Africa

Vibrant, multicultural and dynamic, the University of Johannesburg (UJ) shares the pace and energy of cosmopolitan Johannesburg, the city whose name it carries. Proudly South African, the university is alive down to its African roots, and well-prepared for its role in actualising the potential that higher education holds for the continent’s development. UJ has transformed into a diverse, inclusive, transformational and collegial institution, with a student population of over 50 000, of which more than 3000 are international students from 80 countries. This makes UJ one of the largest contact universities in South Africa (SA) from the 26 public universities that make up the higher education system. The vision of the UJ is to be “an international University of choice, anchored in Africa, dynamically shaping the future”. The mission can be described as follows: “inspiring its community to transform and serve humanity through innovation and the collaborative pursuit of knowledge”. These are underpinned by four values, namely: imagination, conversation, regeneration and ethical foundation. The six strategic objectives provide a focused means for realising the Vision, Mission and Values of the University as set out above. They further represent a re-working of the original UJ Strategic Thrusts 2020 in the context of a wider positioning of the University as “The Pan-African” Centre for Critical Intellectual Inquiry, with the primary goal of achieving global excellence and stature.

About me

Philiswa Nosizo Nomngongo is a full professor of Environmental Analytical Chemistry and the South African Research Chair Initiative chair in Nanotechnology for Water, hosted by the Department of Chemical Sciences (Faculty of Science) at the University of Johannesburg.

Prof Nomngongo's research career has been dedicated to environmental analytical chemistry and nanotechnology, aiming to solve environmental problems related to water quality and environmental protection. Prof Nomngongo's most significant contributions have been mainly in developing sample preparation methodologies using nanostructured materials as adsorbents for monitoring inorganic (toxic trace metals and metalloids) and organic pollutants (more specifically, emerging contaminants, which include pesticides, endocrine disruptors and personal care and pharmaceutical products) in water systems. Her current research includes the application of various nanomaterials in fields that are attracting increasing interest, such as wastewater treatment, groundwater/surface remediation, water quality monitoring and development of water quality sensors, among others.

With a National Research Foundation Y1 rating, Prof Nomngongo is the author of nearly 150 peer-reviewed publications, including papers in leading international journals such as Chemical Engineering Journal, Journal of Environmental Chemical Engineering, Trends in Environmental analytical Chemistry, Scientific Reports, Trends in Analytical Chemistry and Journal of Hazardous Materials. Prof Nomngongo has presented 50+ keynotes and invited contributions at scientific conferences. Prof Nomngongo has received several national and international scientific awards. National scientific awards include the South African Women in Science Award in the Distinguished Young Woman Research in the Natural and Engineering Sciences, 2020/2021 NSTF-South23 Engineering Research Capacity Development Award and HERS-SA Higher Education Women Leaders Awards Finalist: Women in STEM Category. Whereas international scientific awards include L'Oreal-UNESCO Sub-Saharan Women in Science Regional Fellowship and Proteomass Scientific Society Career Award (in recognition for her groundbreaking work utilizing nanomaterials for analysis of various pollutants in environmental media in South Africa). Prof Nomngongo has successfully mentored seven postdoctoral fellows, supervised 28 PhD, 42 master's students, and currently supervises 20 PhD and 11 master's students.

A chemical research scientist registered with the South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP), Prof Nomngongo is a member of the Royal Society of Chemistry, American Chemistry Society, South African Chemical Institute, International Water Association and Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry, among others. She serves on the editorial board of established journals like Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry (Wiley-Blackwell) and Discover Applied Sciences (Springer Nature). She also serves as an associate editor for Science of the Total Environment (Elsevier), Chemistry Africa (Springer Nature) and the South African Journal of Chemistry.