The annual Lens on Africa Graduate Research Video Competition celebrates the hard work and achievements of UF graduate students conducting research on Africa or African-related themes. This year submissions were evaluated on three criteria: the clarity of the research objective and findings, the potential impact on the community and field of study, and the effectiveness of the visual presentation.
Winners received funds for research-related travel or conference participation, helping to further their academic and professional goals.
Check out their amazing videos below and get inspired!
1st Place Winner of the Lens on Africa Graduate Research Video Competition
Kenneth Oduor
Department: Agronomy
Research Title: Sustainable management of the invasive cactus species (Opuntia stricta) in the rangelands of Laikipia, Kenya
Prize: $500 Travel Award
Video Overview:
Opuntia stricta, an invasive cactus in Kenya’s rangelands, reduces grazing land, affecting pastoral communities. Previous control efforts, like cochineal, failed, leading to a study exploring sustainable management. The research investigates using cactus biomass for biogas as cooking fuel and biodigester residues as biofertilizers. It also examines feeding male Galla goats with a cactus-based feed, replacing corn in their diet. We further evaluate the ecosystem services provided by the cactus within the rangeland with a focus on soil properties, including carbon sequestration. Finally, we explore its role in protecting plant diversity. The goal is to manage Opuntia stricta sustainably in Laikipia.
2nd Place Winner of the Lens on Africa Graduate Research Video Competition
Kaylin Kleckner
Department: Entomology and Nematology
Research Title: Wild Honey Bees of South Africa
Prize: $250 Travel Award
Video Overview:
The western honey bee, Apis mellifera, is well-studied as managed livestock, but wild, unmanaged populations across Africa remain understudied. Kaylin Kleckner’s research focused on wild honey bee nesting ecology in the Eastern Cape, South Africa. Using beelining techniques, she located over 125 colonies, finding that colonies primarily nested in the ground inside old animal burrows. Her findings offer critical insights for land management, pollinator conservation, and the improvement of global beekeeping practices through the understanding of wild honey bees’ survival strategies.
3rd Place Winner of the Lens on Africa Graduate Research Video Competition
Naa Akle Okantey
Department: Musicology and Ethnomusicology
Research Title: Genre formation as a social practice: A case study of Nnwonkoro
Prize: $150 Travel Award
Video Overview:
This video explores Nnwonkoro, a verbal art form performed by women in Akan communities and examines how this genre is constructed socially through a conscious sitting arrangement during performances. I analyze Nnwonkoro through the broader themes of gender and social power, considering how extramusical factors such as sitting arrangements help identify Nnwonkoro socially, as a women’s activity distinct from other genres like adowa, an Akan funeral musical culture. This video includes scenes of performances from the Kokofu Serwaa Nnwonkoro and Adowa Group, Sarfo Kantanta Adowa and Nnwonkoro Group, and the Legon Palmwine Band.
**Prize money must be used for research-related travel in Africa or participation in an Africa-related conference presentation by June 15, 2025, at the latest.