The man in charge of South Africa’s largest engineering department
Professor Wynand Steyn from the University of Pretoria is one of South Africa’s top academics, driving research which has tremendous value to the country.
Steyn is the Head of the Department of Civil Engineering at the University of Pretoria’s Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology.
He is also the Chair of the School of Engineering and has been involved in research at the University of Pretoria for the past 12 years.
He completed a BEng in Civil Engineering, MEng in Geotechnical Engineering, and a PhD in Civil Engineering at the University of Pretoria.
Steyn has strong ties to the engineering industry and is a South African Institution of Civil Engineers member and a South African Academy of Engineering (FSAAE) fellow.
His engineering specialisation is something which most people use but take for granted as just always being there — pavements.
He is a professionally registered pavement engineer with research interests in vehicle-pavement interaction, accelerated pavement testing, and pavement materials.
Steyn is globally renowned for his work in the field of pavement engineering, and he presents his research at seminars and conferences worldwide.
What sets him apart from many other academics is his focus on research that contributes to the betterment of society.
For example, he has completed a synthesis of international accelerated pavement testing activities for the National Academies of Science in the USA.
He is also involved in projects with the South African National Roads Agency and the California Department of Transportation.
His work supports improvements in pavement engineering, transportation systems, and user experiences of such facilities.
This research has led to the improvement of infrastructure used daily, which has a direct impact on people’s lives.
Steyn is also involved in research activities at Innovation Africa@UP through supporting other faculties and institutes.
Leading the country’s top engineering department
Steyn was appointed as Dean of the Faculty of Engineering, Built Environment and Information Technology (EBIT) on 1 December 2022.
It is widely regarded as one of the world’s top engineering departments, with strengths in research, teaching, industry relevance, and graduate outcomes.
He was the standout candidate for the position due to his exceptional work as Head of the Department for Civil Engineering.
In this position, he and his team produced groundbreaking research and development technologies used throughout the world.
He also spearheaded the development of the state-of-the-art Engineering 4.0 facility at the University of Pretoria.
This facility is a collaboration between the university, SANRAL (South African National Roads Agency), and the CSIR.
It includes an active traffic lane for research. This is a 2km stretch of the N4 highway adjacent to the facility, equipped with sensors to collect data.
It hosts the National Roads Materials Reference Laboratory, an independent facility for testing road construction materials to ensure they meet national standards.
The facility also features an accelerated pavement testing (APT) track, as well as concrete and timber laboratories.
In his new position, he has a strong focus on research which benefits the world and makes people’s lives better.
He credited his mentors from the early days of his career, primarily at the Council for Scientific and Industrial Research, for shaping his research interests.
He regards these mentors as role models who were instrumental in his development as an academic and researcher.
Steyn is now instilling the same love for the academic field and real-world research in the staff and students in his department.
He encourages young people interested in his field to read, observe, experiment, measure, and learn from what they see around them.
“Be inquisitive. Ask questions. Try stuff that has not been done before,” Steyn said in an interview.
Wynand Steyn is a unique individual who improves the world around him
Steyn breaks the stereotype of an academic which is hidden behind a desk and produces research which is of little value outside of the academic world.
Things around him continually improve. He is industrious and loves building, whether it is a new facility or the latest AI software product.
MyBroadband spoke to staff members in his department, and they credited him for maintaining world-class standards at UP’s engineering department.
He fights for budgets for equipment like ASUS Ascent GX10 Desktop AI supercomputers and new robot technology to ensure his department has the latest tools.
Unlike many academics, which enjoys the relaxed life a job at a university offers, Steyn works harder than most people in the engineering industry.
He often responded to emails from MyBroadband at 05:00 in the morning, as he arrived at his office even earlier than that.
Arriving early allows him to do a lot of work before the students or other staff members require his attention.
Even when he is not at work, he loves engaging with technology and engineering. This includes being a licensed drone pilot.
He is also a keen cyclist. However, as a self-respecting engineer, he has an electric bicycle to ensure he has help with fighting gravity when needed.
Professor Wynand Steyn and others like him are why South Africa still boasts globally renowned academic institutions, such as the Tuks engineering department.
Photos of Professor Wynand Steyn and his faculty
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