Dr Sesethu Charmaine Tshangana is a Senior Lecturer and NRF Y-rated researcher at the Institute for Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability (iNanoWS) at the University of South Africa (UNISA). Her research addresses a critical challenge in South Africa and a global priority: access to clean and safe drinking water. Aligned with Sustainable Development Goal 6, her research focuses on developing multifunctional membranes that improve water quality through the removal of emerging contaminants, inactivation of microorganisms, and simultaneous self-cleaning. Dr Tshangana has published more than 30 peerreviewed publications and contributed to a book chapter. She has secured more than R1.2 million in competitive research funding as a principal investigator and has supervised two Master’s students to completion. She currently co-supervises seven PhD and five Master’s students and serves on the Editorial Board of Processes. Dr Tshangana is a recipient of the prestigious Catalyst Grant from the University of Oxford, underscoring her growing international standing and the significance of her research.