2020 Golden Eagle Award Winners
St John’s College is proud to announce that the 2020 Golden Eagle Award goes to two exceptional and deserving Old Johannians – Professor Tshilidzi Marwala (OJ Nash 1990) and Professor Jerome Loveland (OJ Nash 1990).
To view the virtual link of the award CLICK HERE
The Golden Eagle Award was introduced in 2004 by the Old Johannian Association, in partnership with the College, to recognise and celebrate the extraordinary impact that Old Johannians have made in South Africa and internationally. The award recognises and celebrates the valued, lasting contributions of Old Johannians who have made a difference in their community, industry, arena of life or field of study.
Professor Tshilidzi Marwala (OJ Nash 1990) is a renowned academic thought-leader in the fields of mechanical engineering, artificial intelligence and computer science.
After graduating from the post-matric programme at St John’s Sixth Form in 1990, Prof Marwala studied Mechanical Engineering at Case Western Reserve University in the USA, obtained his Masters in Mechanical Engineering at the University of Pretoria, and completed his PhD in Artificial Intelligence at the University of Cambridge.
He became a Professor at the University of the Witwatersrand in 2003 and the chairperson of System and Control Engineering in South Africa. Today, he is Vice-Chancellor and Principal of the University of Johannesburg, a position he has held since 2018.
Prof Marwala has received numerous awards and honours, including being awarded the prestigious Order of Mapungubwe, South Africa’s highest honour for achievements in an international arena which have served South Africa’s interests. Prof Marwala has tirelessly developed research and human capacity in the field of Artificial Intelligence, and has led scholarship in understanding and leveraging the importance of the fourth industrial revolution for our continent. We are honoured to have Professor Marwala as our Golden Eagle Award recipient for 2020.
Professor Jerome Loveland (OJ, Nash 1990) is currently Head of Paediatric Surgery at Chris Hani Baragwanath Academic Hospital, University of the Witwatersrand and the founder of the Surgeons for Little Lives.
Prof Loveland matriculated from St Johns College in 1990 and completed his medical degree at Witwatersrand University before specialising in Paediatric Surgery and becoming one of South Africa’s leading transplant surgeons. He was appointed as the Clinical Head of Paediatric Surgery at Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital, where he has helped to train the next generation of paediatric surgeons and created a world-class paediatric surgical facility. In addition to his clinical work, Professor Loveland has a keen interest in research and has published widely in the fields of Paediatric Surgery and Transplantation. His charity, Surgeons for Little Lives, has raised more than R50-million and changed the lives of thousands of South African children who have needed surgery.
Professor Jerome Loveland has made a significant contribution to South African society through his tireless and selfless dedication to improving and saving lives, as well as leading research and training and inspiring medical professionals. The Presidency has recognised Prof Loveland for “Excellence in Paediatric Surgery”, and Wits has recognised him for his exceptional service and research. He represents the ethos of selfless service to others, encapsulated in the college motto, Lux Vita Caritas is evident in all that he does.
