meet the team
MSc Laser Physics (cum laude)
Founder & Director
Xavier von Stein
Xavier has been tutoring and mentoring high-school science students full-time from 2017. He completed his BSc in Laser Physics (cum laude), Hons. degree (cum laude) and MSc (cum laude) at Stellenbosch University. He is also a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society.
During his Master’s degree he was awarded the Willhelm Frank Bursary, received an award for the best MSc presentation in photonics at the 2015 South African Institute of Physics conference and the prestigious S2A3 medal for his thesis. This medal is awarded to the best Master’s student in the Natural Science Faculty at each of South Africa’s Tertiary institutions. After completing his studies he decided to pursue a career in independent education where he could share his passion & energy for the subject. Running in parallel with the tutoring program, Xavier is currently writing and illustrating a text book series. He is also involved in facilitating an online outreach program in Somerset West.
MSc
Astrophysics
Instructor and Content Creator
Ryan Le Roux
Ryan completed his Masters in Astrophysics at the University of Cape Town, specialising in High-Mass X-ray Binaries in the Magellanic Bridge, the region between the Large and Small Magellanic Clouds. He also completed my Bachelors of Science and Honours in Astrophysics at UCT.
During his postgraduate studies, he was given the opportunity to present his research for the High Energy Astronomy of South Africa conference at the University of the Witwatersrand, as well as at the X-ray Astronomy conference in Bologna, Italy. Throughout his under- and postgraduate career, he tutored high school, undergraduates and postgraduate students. Tutoring has been the highlight of his academic career.
PhD Analytical Chemistry
Learning Consultant, Mentor & Chemistry Instructor
Dr Liezel Retief
Dr Liezel Retief completed a MSc (2006) and PhD (2011) in analytical Chemistry at Stellenbosch University. After completion of her Doctoral degree, she switched over to the research field of Chemistry Education. During these periods at the University, she was involved as tutor, senior tutor, laboratory supervisor and stand-in lecturer for especially first-year general Chemistry students.
Dr Retief’s teaching experience includes lecturing Chemistry to the Extended Degree Programme first-year students as well as general Chemistry to first-year main stream students, analytical NMR spectroscopy content to third-year NMR main stream as well as food science students. She has also been involved in various science education research programmes of which some include; investigating students experience regarding practical training, student experience regarding the support offered by the science faculty, developing an online polymer first-year polymer course, developing online support content for faculty staff, developing online tutor training courses, etc.
PhD Analytical Chemistry
Instructor and Content Creator
Dr Ilse Barnard
Dr Ilse Barnard obtained her MSc (2016) and PhD degree (2020) in Analytical Chemistry at the University of Stellenbosch. As part of a significant portion of her postgraduate research, she conducted in-depth investigations on the unique use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) spectroscopy to obtain structural and behavioral information on a series of cobalt-based compounds.
After completing her PhD studies, Ilse conduct postdoctoral research in the Department of Chemistry at the Technische Universität Kaiserslautern, Germany, where she continued her passion for NMR research and also provided training to postgraduate students on the use of this specialised technique. One of her main passions has always been to teach and mentor students. From 2014-2019, Ilse was involved with the tutorial and practical sessions held in the Chemistry department of Stellenbosch for years up to BSc (Hons) students. As a tutor, she prides herself in creating a friendly, welcoming, and approachable teaching and learning environment with a willingness to do whatever it takes to accommodate the needs of the students, while at the same time, also taking additional measurements to encourage and stimulate critical thinking and questioning.
BSc Honours Medical Biology (cum laude)
Instructor & content creator
Jana de Kock
Jana obtained her BSc (Hons) in Medical Biology, as well as a BSc in Molecular Biology, with a minor in Mathematics and Physics (all Magna Cum Laude) from the University of Tampa in Florida, USA. She completed her studies in May of 2022 and has now returned to finish her medicine (MBChB) at the University of Stellenbosch from January 2023.
During her undergraduate she attended the University of Oxford for a semester where she completed two mini-theses in the Epigenetics of Cognitive Neuroscience, as well as the Economic of Malaria in Sub-Saharan Africa. She then completed her honours thesis in The Psychological and Physiological Effects of Stress on the Human Epigenetic Profile and Brain. This involved hours of research, a complex synthesis of ideas, and a creative way of thinking about medicine in the 21st century. Throughout her studies she served as the Vice President of the student representative council, volunteered in tutoring outreach programs, served as a teacher’s assistant for first-year chemistry, physics, and biology classes, and was part of the Diversity Advisory Group on her campus.
BSc Acturial Science (cum laude)
Instructor & content creator
Chanel de le Rosa
Chanél completed a BSc actuarial science degree (2020) at North-West University, Potchefstroom. She graduated, with cum laude, in the top 2 of her year group. She also completed a PGCE (2021) with cum laude. In 2021, she worked parttime at Master Maths/Science Potchefstroom, SETH Academy at Ferdinand Postma and assisted the Mathematics and Statistics Apartment as well as the Financial Mathematics department. In 2022, she worked as a mathematics contract teacher at two schools. She has 10 years’ experience in tutoring mathematics and a few years’ experience in tutoring science. She is passionate about whatever she takes on and wants to make a difference whether she goes.