The CGA team would like to congratulate our GIS analyst, Juan du Plessis, on obtaining his Masters in Sciences earlier this year. Under the watchful eye of Dr Zama Eric Mashimbye, he tackled his thesis: Machine Learning for Regional Modelling of Soil Depth in the Western Cape of South Africa. With this he set out to create a methodology that will generate soil depth maps at a higher resolution than what is currently available in South Africa.
Juan decided to do his masters because he has an affinity for conducting research and saw it as a way to advance his career. While he found joy in conducting the practical parts of his research, the writing of his thesis posed a little challenging: “It took me a while to get into the rhythm…but once I got going, I started enjoying that as well.” Other than writing, working full time whilst completing a masters degree is no small feat. Grinding away behind a computer after a full day of work requires extra dedication. Luckily Juan’s manager at the CGA, Garth, afforded him lenience when it came to taking leave on short notice as and when the research beckoned.
It seems like Juan won’t be resting on his laurels, though. He is thinking of how best to write his thesis up as an academic article for publication, though is also considering changing his topic within a PhD: “I have always been very interested in fluid dynamics, so my next topic may be related to tackling one of the various water-related issues that we as South Africans face.”
Whatever the case might be, the team is proud. Well done, Juan!