Kraaifontein’s Faith February loved maths and had wanted to become a maths teacher. Her professor however, saw her potential and made sure she received bursaries to pursue a career in science. She eventually graduated with a Masters degree in Physics and Mathematics from the University of Stellenbosch, went to work for the Institute for Maritime Technology for 16 years and during that time, she worked her way up to Chief Scientist. Her love of academics led her back to university where, in 2023, she graduated with a PhD in Physical Oceanography.
Faith is the first person in her family to graduate from university. The mother of three says that she is grateful towards her family, who supported during her PhD studies. She is especially grateful towards her husband, Stanley, who stepped up and took over the duties of cooking the meals and making sure that the kids are dropped off at school and they do their homework.
During her time at the Institute for Maritime Technology, she was the project leader for Infrared Thermography, which basically means that she was in charge of measuring the temperatures of the ocean surface. Blending her work experience with her PhD studies, her thesis focused on the interaction between the ocean and the atmosphere and its influence on climate change.
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