Staff
Office of the Research Director
Prof Carlien van Wyk
Director, Associate professor: Researcher and supervisor +27 21 864 3593 carlien.vanwyk@nwu.ac.za 18 Malan Street, Wellington, 7655 Western Cape , Potchefstroom PhD in Social work, MA in Social work (Play therapy), BA in Social work Social work, play therapy, children’s participation in the context of children’s rights, child protection
Mrs Abigail Warne (CCYF)
Financial Officer +27 21 864 3593 Abigail.Warne@nwu.ac.za Diploma in Management (Lyceum); Certificate in Office Management (Unisa); Diploma in Secretarial Studies
Mrs Louise van Wyk
Administrative Assistant +27 21 864 3593 Louise.VanWyk@nwu.ac.za North West University, 18 Malan Street, Wellington 7655, Western Cape, Potchefstroom Grade 12, Certificate in Office Management, Advance Office Management, Christian Emergency and Trauma Counseling
Ms Melanie Strydom
Senior Administration Assistant +27 21 864 3593 Melanie.Strydom@nwu.ac.za North West University, 18 Malan Street, Wellington, 7655, Western Cape, Potchefstroom Grade 12, Certificate in Office Management, Certificate in Advanced Office Management
Ms Thenjiwe Gazi
Personal Assistant to the Research Director Thenjiwe.Gazi@nwu.ac.za Room G05, Building E8, Potchefstroom BA Psychology and Sociology BA Honours Sociology MA Industrial Sociology (current)Research Coordinaters
Prof Elmien Crofford
Associate Professor, COMPRES Research Coordinator +27 16 910 3505 Elmien.Crofford@nwu.ac.za Building A21, Office G19.5, Vanderbijlpark BA Social Work (Stellenbosch University); MA Forensic practice (NWU Potchefstroom); PhD in Social Work (NWU Vanderbijlpark) Child protection social work and child abuse
Project Administrators
Ms Rosalind Elmer-English
Project Administrator Ros.ElmerEnglish@nwu.ac.za Building E8, Room G09, Potchefstroom BAppSocSci (Counselling and Psychology) BSocSci Honours (Psychology) MHSc in Research Psychology Cognitive Psychology and Research MethodologyResearchers in Psychology
Prof Karel Botha
Deputy Director: School of Psychosocial Health on Potchefstroom Campus (acting) +27 18 299 1726 Karel.Botha@nwu.ac.za Building E8, Room 125, Potchefstroom BA (Psychology)BA (Hons) Psychology
MA (Clinical Psychology)
PhD (Psychology) Anticipation and creative problem solving,The self-regulation of cognition and emotion, specifically self-reflection, Psychopathology in adults
Ms Mianda Erasmus
Lecturer +27 18 389 2334 Mianda.Erasmus@nwu.ac.za Building A17, Room 144, Mahikeng BMUS (UFS) – 2005; BMUS HONS (UFS) – 2008; BA HONS in Psychology (UFS) – 2006; BA HONS in Language studies, French (UFS) – 2009; MA in Psychology (Research) (UFS) – 2007; MA in French (Teaching French as a Foreign Language) (UCT) - 2015 Social psychology: Stereotypes, Intergroup relations Social media studies Scholarship of Teaching and Learning: supporting first years, large classes, use of technology, flipped learning, excellent teaching on tertiary level, team teaching.
Dr Shanaé Theunissen
Lecturer +2716 910 3420 shanae.theunissen@nwu.ac.za Building A13, Room 121, Vanderbijlpark BA in Psychology, Sociology and Languages, MA in Clinical Psychology, PhD in Psychology Health Care Professional Development, Gender-based Violence, Intervention Research, Mixed Methods Research
Dr Thabile Manengela
Lecturer 084 761 1312 29595487@nwu.ac.za Doctor of Philosophy in health sciences with psychology Researcher, Registered counsellor
Prof Werner de Klerk
Associate Professor / Research Psychologist and promoter +27 18 299 1725 Werner.DeKlerk@nwu.ac.za Building E8, Room G24, Potchefstroom BA (Human Movement Sciences and Psychology); BA (Hons) Psychology; MA (Research Psychology); PhD (Psychology) Qualitative Research Methodology; Well-being of schools (school climate from Psychological perspective)Researchers in Social Work
Prof Eleanor Hendricks
Senior Lecturer 0182994825 Eleanor.Hendricks@nwu.ac.za Building E8, Room 128, Potchefstroom PGDHET, PhD, MSW (UFH); BSW (UP) Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) (UK) Gender-based violence, Violence in educational institutions, social work and social media, Decolonisation of social work, Groupwork method, Social casework method, Integrative and reflective social work
Prof Elma Ryke
Full professor, promoter, Social Work Programme Leader +27 18 299 1687 Elma.Ryke@nwu.ac.za Building E8, Room 207, Potchefstroom BA (Social Work); Post Grad Dipl. in Philosophy; MA (Mental Health); PhD (Social Work). Psychosocial well-being in households and communities, environmental strengths, policy & practice, substance abuse.
Prof Elzahne Simeon De Jager
Associate Professor +27 18 299 1676 Elzahne.Simeon@nwu.ac.za Building E8, room 212, Potchefstroom BA (Social Work), MA (Social Work ), Phd (Social Work) Legislation regarding children
Prof Hanelie Malan
Subject group leader: Social work, Associate Professor +27 18 299 1675 Hanelie.Malan@nwu.ac.za Building E8, Room 203, Potchefstroom BA (Social Work); Honours (Psychology); MA (Industrial Psychology); PhD (Social Work) Child & Youth Care and Protection; Counselling and therapeutic interventions with children; Adoption as speciality area
Dr Marelize Vergottini
Senior Lecturer 016 910 3417 Marelize.Vergottini@nwu.ac.za Building A21, Room G17.7, Vanderbijlpark B.Soc.Sc (Social Work) University of the Free State, MSW (North-West University), PhD (North-West University) School social work and all aspects directly related thereto, such as children and the subsystems in the education system of parents and teachers
Dr Lucé Pretorius
Senior Lecturer; Subject Group Deputy Leader 016 910 3428 Luce.Pretorius@nwu.ac.za Building A21,Office G19.3, Vanderbijlpark PhD in Social Work, MA Social Work, BSW Innovative and responsive social work education and policy, with particular attention to client violence and digitalisation of social work practice.
Mrs Katlego Ratshidi-Kawadza
Lecturer 018 299 1681 Katlego.Ratshidikawadza@nwu.ac.za BSW (Cum Laude), MSW Child protection in Social WorkResearch Psychology Interns
Ms Arielle Graaff
Research Psychology Intern 34214526@mynwu.ac.za Building E8, Room G04B, Potchefstroom BHSc (Physiology and Psychology) BHSc Honours (Psychology) MHSc in Research Psychology (current) Psychometrics and Community Psychology
Miss Tsegofatso Motaung
Research Psychology Intern 25154826@mynwu.ac.za Building E8, Room G04B, PotchefstroomExtraordinary Researchers
Prof Retha Bloem
Extraordinary professor rethabloem@yahoo.com Western Cape, Wellington 7655,BSW BA (hons) sociology MSW MA DPhil (UP)
Higher Education Management, Social justice and transformation, Human dignity and Research integritySocial Justice Research aimed at elucidating perspectives or experiences of individuals who experience marginalization or discrimination.
The epistemological and methodological understanding of research management and research integrity
Chair: Intercultural diversity reference group: Global North – Global South cohort
Standing Committee: Integrated Research Integrity Management System: Faculty of Health Science
Prof Hendri Coetzee
Extraordinary Associate-professor and Director of the Nature’s Valley Trust hendri.coetzee@nvt.org.za As an engaged scholar, Prof Hendri’s main research focus encompasses community, conservation and social-environmental topics such as human-environment interactions, community engagement, community well-being, community impact, community-based conservation
Prof Kobus du Plooy
Extraordinary Professor kobus.duplooy@otago.ac.nzBMil (University of Stellenbosch); BSocSci(Hons) Psych (University of Pretoria); MSc Clin Psych (Sefako Makgatho Health Sciences University); PhD Psych (North-West University); MBA with distinction (North-West University Business School)
Head of Behavioural Science, Department of Psychological Medicine (Dunedin), University of Otago (NZ); Full Member of the New Zealand Psychological Society; Member of the Executive Committee of the New Zealand Psychological Society's Otago Branch; Full Me
Prof Hayley Walker-Williams
Extraordinary Professor Prof Hayley Walker-Williams is a research fellow residing in New Zealand, focussing on clinical practice in clinical psychology. She is the co-investigator in the research project entitled “Survivor to Thriver” (S2T) aimed at facilitating resilience pro
Prof Susanne Jacobs (CCYF)
Associate Professor - Full time researcher and supervisor +27 82 783 7474 Susanne.Jacobs@nwu.ac.za Duke AVE Irene Farm Villages, Centurion, PotchefstroomPhD Education and MDIAC masters in Play therapy
Resilience, Psycho-Social Well-being, and Strenghs-Based Research: Relational Health Strengthening, restoring, and preserving communitiesDr. Susanne Jacobs supervises postgraduate research methodology and subject-specific content at the NWU in COMPRES (Community psychosocial health and wellbeing, Centre for Child, Youth, and Family Studies, in social work, and AUTHéR, Africa Unit for Trans disciplinary Health Promotion.
Supervising themes of interest and focus in qualitative research is to restore, preserve, and strengthen community and individual psychosocial resilience, health and relational health and wellbeing through strengths-based approaches. Using Appreciative Inquiry, based on positive psychology, promotes resilience, good health, well-being, and healthy relationships in schools and families in diverse societies, ultimately supporting the development of culturally responsive approaches. Counselling based interests include, amongst others, Gestalt, Cognitive-behavioral, Narrative therapy, Positive Psychology and Attachment theories, and educationally-based marriage enrichment.
Prof Tanya Robinson
Extraordinary Researcher 0434 375 147 Epworth Building. Suite 513. 33 Pirie Street. Adelaide, 5000. South Australia.,B.A. (SW) (US); M.S.D. (UP); N.E.C. (UNISA); A.H.S. (UNISA); D.Phil. (US); Ph.D. (NWU); Ph.D. (UCT); Ph.D. (UNISA); Reg. M. (UNSW).
Creative Psychodynamic Psychotherapy. Child-Centred Psychotherapy. Socio-Emotional Assessments. Supervision. Training.
Dr Willem Nel
Extraordinary Researcher willemnel@enfc.co.zaPhD in Public Practical Theology (NWU); MA in Organisational Leadership - Magna Cum Laude (Regent University, Virginia Beach, Virginia); Honours in Bachelor of Commerce in Business Management (UNISA); Diploma in Theology (Auckland Park Theological Seminary - formerly The Apostolic Faith Mission Theological College); Bachelor of Commerce in Accounting (UJ - formerly RAU)
Transformational Leadership, Christian Transformational Leadership, Community Development, Public Practical Theology, Servant Leadership, Social Change