SAASTA getSETgo, July 2012: Professor Bruton awarded Honorary doctorate

Professor Mike Bruton, an erstwhile Director of SAIAB (when it was the JLB Smith Institute of Ichthyology) was awarded an honorary doctorate by Rhodes University in Grahamstown. Bruton has established a fine reputation as one of the country's leading ichthyologists and has done much to popularise science, making it both comprehensible and fun for ordinary people, young and old alike.


Professor Bruton was treated to a tea at SAIAB to congratulate him and share this accolade with his family, past colleagues and friends. From left: Mrs Sue Allanson (long-time friend); Prof Brian Allanson (supervisor, colleague, mentor and friend); Jean Pote (PA to Prof Bruton when he was Director of the JLB Smith Institute); Prof Mike Bruton (now Director of Imagineering at MTE Studios); Mrs Carolynn Bruton (wife, and also colleague when she was Education Officer at JLB Smith Institute); SAIAB's current Director, Dr Angus Paterson, and Mr Robin Stobbs (colleague at the JLB Smith Institute).		In his address at the Rhodes University Faculty of Science graduation ceremony, Professor Bruton told the science graduates that they are important agents of change in modern society.

This versatile scientist, who trained as a marine and freshwater biologist and ecologist and is an internationally renowned specialist on African fish and fisheries, has for the past two decades focused on science centre and museum design and development, the psychology of learning, and the history of Islamic science.

Bruton is well-known in science advancement circles as the founder-director of the then MTN ScienCentre (now the Cape Town Science Centre) and recipient of the National Science and Technology Forum's lifetime achievement award for his science advancement work.

After leaving the tertiary education sector, he has been involved primarily in informal science education, in the interrelated worlds of the aquarium, museum and interactive science centre. He has made a huge contribution to the popularisation of the public understanding of science and has increased access to high quality demonstrations of a scientific nature through the development of various science centres.

He is currently employed by MTE Studios in Cape Town as Director of Imagineering, where his duties include research and knowledge management, consultancy services in museum and exhibition design, management and development, and the training of science centre and museum personnel. He is involved in projects in Africa, Europe, North America and the Gulf Region, and has carried out extensive research on Islamic science for travelling exhibitions and permanent displays in South Africa, Malaysia, Turkey, United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia.