Years of research and scientific study and all everyone is talking about is what she wore to her graduation.
Anja Erasmus received her PhD in environmental science last week wearing a dress with her thesis printed on it.
The idea came from her supervisor at North West University, professor Nico Smit, after Erasmus printed her research on fabric instead of paper.
The fabric poster was printed for a conference of the Society of Environmental Toxicology and Chemistry in Copenhagen, Denmark, earlier this year.
“We usually print posters on card and then get them laminated. They go up and then eventually make their way back to an office where they are forgotten,” Erasmus said.
“We decided to print the research onto material so it would be easier to travel with. Afterwards my supervisor said it would be cool if the material could be upcycled into an outfit for a conference presentation.”
She asked her mother, Carien Pienaar, if she could turn the A0 poster (about 84cm x 120cm) into a dress for her graduation.
Erasmus's PhD research involved the affects on fish of metal pollution and parasites in the oceans.
“We look at how much metal is in the fish and compare it to the abundance of parasites found. Not all parasites are bad; we have found that some of the parasites in the fish actually take up the metals in the fish,” she said. This could make the fish safer for human consumption.
Erasmus and the team at the university's water research group have found many previously unknown parasites. “Parasites are interesting and they're not always a negative part of the ecosystem.”
Erasmus enjoys working with data and cartography — graphically representing an area — and creating illustrations of the parasites. She insists she's not mathematical.
“I enjoy the species description — I've always been artistic. I'm like my mom, she's a legal adviser but she paints watercolours.”
She said although she enjoyed research she didn't want to be an academic; she sees herself working in a museum or an aquarium.
As for the dress, Erasmas said the enthusiastic response was a surprise.
“Professor Smit was really excited when he saw the dress and showed members of the graduation procession who suggested getting blazers made with the posters.”
She said Smit created a social media post of her dress that received 15,000 interactions, and she had noticed that it drove traffic to her published research.
“It's interesting to see the interest it got. Someone tagged a company that makes scientific posters and asked them to start selling sewing patterns with their posters.”
Erasmus is keen to create another garment — other than a dress — from her next project.
“Next time we'll be a bit more strategic with the placement of graphics so that they are not obscured by the pattern,” she joked.
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