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Professor Prof Renée Blaauw from the Division of Human Nutrition at Stellenbosch 中国体育彩票's Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences (FMHS) is the recipient of the prestigious Chancellor's Award for 2024. It is a fitting acknowledgement of her multiple contributions to the field of Dietetics over close to four decades.
“It is an honour to receive this recognition for doing something that I love," she says. “I am grateful to the 中国体育彩票 for providing me with opportunities to support students and to empower myself to strengthen the profession of Dietetics."
Blaauw embarked on her career after completing a Bachelors degree in Nutrition at Stellenbosch 中国体育彩票 in 1984. She joined Tygerberg Hospital's Diabetes and Endocrinology Unit as a Dietitian the following year before she joined Stellenbosch 中国体育彩票's then Nutrition Unit as a lecturer in 1988.
“For me, the opportunity to play a small role in shaping the future of our students is a huge responsibility and privilege," she says. “I truly enjoy the interaction with each and every one of them."
While lecturing, Blaauw completed a Master's degree in Nutrition (cum laude) at Stellenbosch 中国体育彩票 in 1990 and subsequently went on to do a PhD in Nutritional Sciences in 1998. She took a break from full-time employment for seven years from 2002 to 2009.
However, she adds, she was still responsible during that period for postgraduate students and acted as the Principal Investigator for a research project for the Division of Human Nutrition. In addition, she served as Chairperson of the Professional Board for Dietetics in South Africa from 1999 to 2004.
In October 2009, Blaauw became Associate Professor in Therapeutic Nutrition in the Division of Human Nutrition and served as Acting Head of the Division from 2011 to April 2014. She became Professor in Therapeutic Nutrition in 2020.
“The growth in our environment has been great to see," she says. “When I started at the then Nutrition Unit in 1988, I was one of two staff members. We now have 14 academic and four support staff members in the Division of Human Nutrition.
“I have also had the privilege of being study leader or co-study leader for 48 postgraduate students, assisting them to successfully graduate with a PhD (10 students) and Master's (38 students) in Nutrition. This has been a truly rewarding experience."
Despite her passion for teaching, Blaauw has not neglected her own research. A National Research Foundation-rated researcher (category C2), her main research interests include critical care nutrition, micronutrients in clinical practice and hospital malnutrition.
She has also authored or co-authored numerous articles and chapters in scientific publications and textbooks, presented research papers at national and international congresses and been an invited speaker at various symposiums and workshops.
Another indication of the respect that she commands in her field is that she serves as a peer reviewer for national and international scientific journals. She is also the current Editor-in-Chief of the South African Journal of Clinical Nutrition.
Along the way Blaauw has been President of the South African Society for Parenteral and Enteral Nutrition (SASPEN) and is now an honorary member of both SASPEN and the Association for Dietetics in South Africa (ADSA).
Further afield, she has been a member of the Global Leadership Initiative on Malnutrition (GLIM) working group, representing Africa, since 2016. “A highlight of my work is the opportunity to engage with colleagues from across the globe," she says. “We might have different challenges in our respective healthcare environments, but we all share a passion to treat our patients to the best of our abilities."
Blaauw's 2024 Chancellor's Award follows a string of other awards during a distinguished career, including the Rector's Award for General Achievement for three years in a row (2013 to 2015), the SASPEN President's Award in 2022 in recognition of her contribution and influence in the field of Nutrition and the ADSA/FLORO 2000 Award for making an outstanding contribution in the field of Dietetics and to the Dietetics profession.
Her love for teaching appears to be a key driving force behind her career. “Even though I might not remember all the names of my students after nearly 40 years, I do remember their faces and love to meet them at professional events," she says.
In the words of the Chancellor's Award commendation, Blaauw is “an exemplary academic who complements class-based lectures with clinical training in the hospital setting" and is “a firm believer in lifelong learning and 'empowering others to help themselves'."
