WHO'S WHO at uMoya-NILU
Dr Mark Zunckel
Dr Mark Zunckel has a PhD from the University of the Witwatersrand. He is a meteorologist with 13 years of operational meteorology and research experience at the South African Weather Service before he joined the air pollution group at CSIR. There he developed his career further by leading the research group and many small and large research and consultancy projects over a 15 year period in a number of southern African countries and in South America. These included air quality specialist studies for industrial developments, the Dynamic Air Pollution Prediction System, and leading the development of the National Framework for Air Quality Management. Dr Zunckel has conducted courses in Air Quality Management and dispersion modelling, and is an Honorary Professor at the University of Kwa-Zulu Natal. Mark is currently the Managing Director.
(Contact: mark@umoya-nilu.co.za)
Bheki Shongwe
Bheki Shongwe is a qualified chemist with a National Diploma (Chemistry) and a B Tech (Chemistry). He also possesses a certificate of accomplishment in air quality data management from the Norwegian Institute for Air Research. Bheki has 7 years of analytical and monitoring in the water and air quality fields and has played a senior role in the Multi Point Plan for eThekwini Health Department in their air quality initiative in Durban’s South Industrial Basin. Here he developed a proficiency in ambient air quality monitoring with passive and real time sampling, data management and the development and maintenance of source inventories. Bheki is a Director at uMoya-NILU.
(Contact: bheki@umoya-nilu.co.za)
Benton Pillay
Benton is a quaified Chemical Engineer who has several years of working experience in the chemical process industry with companies like Sasol and Dow Chemicals. He later branched off into air quality management and played a key role in the development of the Multi Point Plan for the South Durban Industrial Basin with the eThekwini Municipaliry. In addition to establishing the air quality monitoring network, he was part of a team that developed the first Schedule Trade Permit in the new format, of which Engen was the first recipient. Benton later joined SAPREF and served as the Environmental Manager before joining uMoya-NILU.
(Contact: benton@umoya-nilu.co.za)
Yegeshni Naiker
Yegeshni Naiker has a Masters Degree in Environmental Sciences from the University of KwaZulu-Natal. Her research has focused on the assessment of local government capacity in KwaZulu-Natal, specifically with regard to implementing the Air Quality Act. She was a key member of the team that assisted in the development of the National Framework for Air Quality Management and has recently completed a 12 month internship with DEAT, under the supervision of Prof Roseanne Diab at UKZN. Amongst other activities, the internship allowed Yegeshni to work on a tyre burning strategy for eThekwini Health Department and to dip her feet in the consulting world with uMoya-NILU.
(Contact: yegeshni@umoya-nilu.co.za)
Atham Raghunandan
Atham has a Masters degree from the University of KwaZulu-Natal where his research focussed on ozone profiles in the lower troposphere. Atham has since developed extensive dispersion modeling skills with models such as CALPUFF, TAPM, CALINE and HYSPLIT through his involvement in numerous air quality assessment projects in Richards Bay, Coega, Port Shepstone, Atlantis, the Wild Coast and elsewhere. He has a good research background which he has adapted to suit the consultancy environment. He was a key member of the CSIR's Air Quality Research Group before joining uMoya-NILU.
(Contact: atham@umoya-nilu.co.za)
Nomangaliso Mkhize
Nomangaliso Mkhize has a National Diploma in Chemical Engineering from Mangosuthu University of Technology. She completed her in-service training at eThekwini Health Department (EHD): Pollution Control & Risk Management Section and Engen Refinery. Her focus at EHD was quality control of air quality data from the City’s extensive monitoring network. At Engen Refinery, she was responsible for confirming the daily sulphur dioxide emissions from one of the refinery’s units (the Fluidized Catalytic Cracker), which is regarded as a high contributor towards the refinery’s total sulphur dioxide emissions. Her in-service training has equipped her with experience in the private and public sectors. Nomangaliso has joined uMoya-Nilu as a Service Technician intern.
(Contact:
noma@umoya-nilu.co.za)
Svein Knudsen
Svein Knudsen is uMoya-NILU's link to the Norwegian Institute for Air Research (NILU) and their extensive resources, and through this he brings considerable experience in air quality management from Europe to uMoya-NILU. Svein has worked in the field for more than 15 years and has been the lead investigator in projects in a number of European countries, in China and in Botswana. More recently Svein has played a leading role in the develoment of air quality capacity in eThekweni, and plays a leading role in the development of the air quality management plan in Durban's South Industrial Basin. Svein has also contributed to projects for the South African national government.
(Contact: sk@nilu.no)