Academic Programmes - Student Biographies
Mayshree
Bejaichund (Shingh)
M.S. Degree Candidate
University of the Witwatersrand
I have a BSc Honours Degree in Physics and Geology from the University of KwaZulu Natal.
In addition I have worked for 5 years in the field of seismic hazard and risk assessment at the Seismology Unit of the Council for Geoscience.
Some of the commercial work I am involved in includes seismic hazard and risk assessments for:
- Sites of critical engineering structures such as dams, bridges, highways, nuclear power plants, gas and coal stations - as required by national building regulations.
- Areas of commercial interest e.g. industrialized areas, built-up suburbs including major cities in South Africa; and
- Compilation of national seismic hazard maps.
Seismic Hazard is a multidisciplinary field incorporating aspects of geology, seismology, geophysics, environmental geosciences and computer programming.
I have had the opportunity to attend a number of internationally accredited courses in this field which include:
- GFZ Potsdam International Training Course on Seismology, Hazard Assessment and Risk Mitigation;
- ETH, Zurich course: "Seismic Hazard and Risk Assessment" for Young Seismologists and Engineers in Switzerland; and
- Workshop in Conduct of Seismic Hazard Analyses for Critical Facilities at ICTP in Italy.
In addition to earthquake hazards, I have started research into drought hazard and risk assessment and would also like to explore this field in future.
I hold an African Array bursary (2007 - second year). My topic of research is to review popular seismic hazard methods in earthquake hazard assessment with application to a site in Mozambique.