Professor Emeritus and Senior Research Associate of the University of KwaZulu Natal (UKZN) South Africa, Patricia Berjak passed away after a short illness in January 2015. She leaves a legacy of illustrious publications in aspects of seed biology relevant to their storage for biodiversity conservation and food security purposes, and as a role model extraordinaire to plant biologists worldwide.
Patricia obtained a BSc (Hons) cum laude in biochemistry in 1962 from the University of the Witwatersrand, an MSc in mammalian physiology and biochemistry in 1966 and a PhD in seed biology in 1969, both from the University of Natal, Durban Campus (now UKZN). Subsequent to this, she rapidly went on to establish herself as an expert in seed biology and a world leader in the field of seed desiccation sensitivity (commonly referred to as ‘recalcitrance’), a phenomenon that occurs in a significant portion of seed producing species and which precludes their storage for any practical purposes. Her fundamental research, which involved use of multiple disciplines from the molecular to the ecological levels, resulted in her group contributing extensively to the understanding of the phenomenon of seed recalcitrance. Passionate about enhancing the ultimate storage potential of such seeds for both biodiversity conservation and food security purposes, she directed applied studies aimed at cryopreservation of embryonic tissues from a variety of species producing such seeds. Patricia Berjaks’ standing in this field, and her contributions to plant science in general, is evidenced by her receipt of multiple awards and honours. She held an NRF A rating (first awarded in 2007) and received the South African Association of Botanists (SAAB) Silver (2001) and Gold (2006) medals for her excellent contributions to Botany, SA; the Department of Science and Technology’s Distinguished Woman Scientist award (2004); the National Order of Mapungubwe Silver (2006); the NRF Lifetime Achievement award (2008) and the eThekwini (the city in which Patricia lived) Living Legends award (2010). Honours bestowed on Patricia Berjak include Fellowships from UKZN (1994) the Royal Society of South Africa (1996) and the Academy of Sciences of the Developing World (TWAS, 2004). She was a member of the Academy of Sciences of South Africa (MASSAf) and served as a council member and vice president from 2006–2014. In her dedication to advancement of seed biology in particular and plant biology as a whole, Patricia served on numerous committees including being Chair of the International Seed Testing Association [ISTA] Seed Storage Committee (1995–2001); President elect (2005–2008) and President (2008–2011) of the International Society for Seed Science (ISSS) of whom she was an Executive member from 2005. She served on the Durban Botanic Gardens Education committee (1998–2015) and as a Trustee of the Durban Botanic Gardens Trust (2000–2015), as a Board Member of the United Nations University Institute for Natural Resources in Africa [UNU/INRA] (1999–2008) and of the South African Association for Marine Biological Research [SAAMBR] (2000–2009), and served on the Research Advisory committee of the Oceanographic Research Institute (2006–2009). A strong proponent in encouraging high standards in scientific communication, she devised and then organised 6 International Workshops on Desiccation Tolerance and Sensitivity in Seeds and Vegetative Plant Tissues, and served on the editorial boards of Cryoletters, Journal of Horticultural Science and Biotechnology, Seed Science Research and the South Africa Journal of Botany.
It goes without saying that Patricia gave willingly of her time and expertise to the UKZN, where she served for 48 years in many capacities, including being a HoD and latterly as expert advisor to the Research Office. She was a supervisor, mentor and role model to numerous postgraduate students, many of whom hold key positions in academia and industry. Being one of those postgraduates and a subsequent research collaborator, I write this obituary with deep sadness and profound respect for a woman who tirelessly gave of herself to advance scientific endeavours within her of her group, her country and the world. I can also unequivocally state that Patricia’s inherent talents were fostered by the intellectual input and devoted support of her husband and collaborator of 49 years, Prof Norman W. Pammenter, himself a holder of both SAAB Silver and Gold medals. Together they shared many other passions, including aerobatics, ballroom dancing, bridge, classic cars, cooking, correct usage of the English language, photography and, most of all, a love for cats! I once gave her a T-shirt which bore the legend ‘Behind this successful woman are two intelligent cats’. Her response to me was “that’s true, Jilli-bean (her nickname for me) but behind my success lies an intelligent man and a bevy of recalcitrant postgraduates such as yourself”. Her dry, and sometimes wry sense of humour, which she often used to divert attention from herself, was one of her many endearing qualities. Pat (as we called her) was a visionary leader who communicated her knowledge superbly, did not take fools lightly, yet encouraged independence of thought if appropriately justified! She instilled in many of her postgraduate students the same desire for pursuit of excellence in academia that was a hallmark of her life. She will be sorely missed by many.
Jill M. Farrant
Prof and Research Chair in Plant Molecular Physiology, University of Cape Town, Private Bag X3, Rondebosch, 7701, South Africa