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Agents of Transformation
Agents of Transformation
On this crisp winter day, as sunlight streams through my window, I am struck by the paradox of my surroundings—cold yet bright, mundane yet inviting. It dawns on me that this sensory contradiction mirrors my experience in Higher Education (HE). A landscape, both beautiful and complex, where growing pain and excitement intertwine, and where every ending signals a new beginning. A world in constant flux, moving fast and slow at the same time.
In this ever-shifting terrain, I've come to recognise the complexity of my role. As an academic professional, I need to be a facilitator of knowledge deconstruction and reconstruction, a cultivator of critical thinking, a nurturer of creativity, and a guide helping others navigate uncertainty. As I hone my own skills to thrive in this dynamic environment, I embrace a greater purpose: to be an agent of transformation.
My name is Bronwyn Swartz, and this portfolio is my invitation to you. Welcome to my world—a world of perpetual challenge and endless possibility, where every day brings an opportunity to learn, to grow, and to shape the future of education.
About me
About me
To date, my career journey can be described as an interesting set of varied, seemingly unrelated experiences that all led me to my passion and true vocation: being an academic. While at one stage I thought of it as random - it wasn't random at all - LCT - Elite Code, my orientation to knowledge. With a National Diploma (NDip) Veterinary Technology undergraduate qualification, I have 14 years of industry experience working in diagnostic laboratories across various disciplines including Histology, Biochemistry, Microbiology, and Virology. In 2009, I pursued further studies at the Cape Peninsula University of Technology (CPUT) and graduated with a Bachelor of Technology (BTech) Quality Cum Laude in 2011. That year, I was also awarded the Dean's Merit Award for obtaining the highest mark in my class.
My transition to academia began unexpectedly when, nine months before my Master's graduation, I was invited to lecture statistics to BTech Quality students. This opportunity sparked a new passion in me, prompting me to leave my job as a Veterinary Scientist in 2013 to become a Quality Consultant and freelance Academic Editor while doing part-time lecturing. In 2015, I joined CPUT as a full-time lecturer, cementing my commitment to a new career in education. My academic journey continued with the completion of a DPhil in Quality Management in 2019, and January 2022 marked my promotion to senior lecturer through the Ad Hominem process.
Life, however, had more challenges in store. In April 2022, I was diagnosed with breast cancer. Despite this, I embraced new responsibilities, accepting a secondment as Faculty Learning and Teaching (L&T) Coordinator in June 2022 while undergoing cancer treatment. My dedication and capabilities were recognized with an official appointment to this role in July 2023, on a contract until 2026.
Thus, I find myself holding a multifaceted role encompassing teaching, faculty quality management, academic staff development, research (primarily in the Scholarship of Learning and Teaching (SoLT)), and leadership in higher education. Every past experience has equipped me for my current role, allowing me to approach challenges with a unique perspective and a comprehensive skill set that enables me to contribute to academia in numerous ways. Each aspect of this role is deeply interwoven with every other aspect - like every section of this portfolio is connected to every other section. My teaching sparks a curiosity to do research. My research directly informs my teaching practices, which in turn enhance the quality management strategies I develop. Similarly, my experiences in academic leadership are enriched by ongoing community engagement, allowing me to bring real-world perspectives back to the classroom and to the broader academic community. This holistic approach ensures that the knowledge I generate and the improvements I implement are reflective of a continuous learning and teaching cycle. In essence, the diverse facets of my portfolio are united by a common thread: a commitment to advancing education through a symbiotic relationship between research, teaching, leadership, and community involvement.
Through all experiences, I've discovered that being an academic is more than just agency for me—it's my identity. It's naturally having a perpetual curiosity about the world, an instinctive drive to learn and share knowledge. In essence, academia is not what I do—it's who I am. It's in every observation I make, every question I ask, every breath I take. It's about continually growing and evolving, and I am excited to see where this journey will lead next.
Academic profiles:
Google Scholar https://scholar.google.com/citations?user=yZrED-gAAAAJ&hl=en
ORCID ID https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0752-7211
Research Gate: https://www.researchgate.net/profile/Bronwyn-Swartz
Scopus: https://www.scopus.com/authid/detail.uri?authorId=57203174046
Google Sites
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