Career Profile

Vision: To nuture a higher more profound sense of service and engineering entrepreneurship intended towards solving global grand challenges using Environmental Fluid Mechanics.
NRF-Y researcher, rated as “young researcher having the potential to establish themself as a researcher” in Fluid Mechanics.
Professionally registered engineer with ECSA (202402862)
Current Position: Senior Lecturer.
Co-Head environmental fluid mechanics research group at UKZN (“https://efml.ukzn.ac.za”).
Areas of current research: Coastal processes, Climate change, Renewable energy, fundamentals of fluid mechanics.

Experiences


Senior Lecturer

University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
2021 - Present

Lecturer

University of KwaZulu Natal, South Africa
2018 - 2020

Coastal Engineer

eThekwini Municipality
2015 - 2017

Publications


Journals

  1. The Geography of Mixing on the east coast of South Africa
  2. Pringle J., Stretch D., Tirok K. (2022)
    Environmental Fluid Mechanics
  3. On the reef scale hydrodynamics at Sodwana Bay, South Africa
  4. Deoraj V., Wells C., Pringle J., Stretch D. (2022)
    Environmental Fluid Mechanics
  5. Cold water temperature anomalies on the Sodwana reefs and their driving mechanisms
  6. Wells C., Pringle J., Stretch D. (2021)
    South African Journal of Science, vol 117 (9-10), 9304
  7. A New Approach for the Stochastic Simulation of Regional Wave Climates Conditioned on Synoptic-Scale Meteorology
  8. Pringle J., Stretch D. (2019)
    Journal of Coastal Research, vol 35 (6), 1331-1342
  9. Assimilation of ocean wave spectra and atmospheric circulation patterns to improve wave modelling
  10. Corbella S., Pringle J., Stretch D. (2015)
    Coastal Engineering, vol 100, 1-10
  11. Circulation patterns identified by spatial rainfall and ocean wave fields in Southern Africa
  12. Bárdossy A., Pegram G., Sinclair S., Pringle J., Stretch D.D. (2015)
    Frontiers in Environmental Sciences. vol 3 (31), DOI: 10.3389/fenvs.2015.00031
  13. Automated classification of the atmospheric circulation patterns that drive regional wave climates
  14. Pringle J., Stretch D., Bárdossy A. (2014)
    Natural Hazards and Earth System Sciences, vol 14, 2145-2155
  15. On linking atmospheric circulation patterns to extreme events for coastal vulnerability assessments
  16. Pringle J., Stretch D., Bárdossy A. (2014)
    Natural Hazards , DOI: 10.1007s/11069-015-1825-4

Books

  1. Estuary and Lake hydrodynamics
  2. Stretch D., Chrystal C., Chrystal R., Maine C., Pringle J.
    In: Ecology and Conservation of Estuarine Ecosystems: Lake St. Lucia as a global model. Ed. Perissinotto R., Stretch D., Taylor R. Cambridge University Press. USA

Other

  1. Why it's important to understand how Fluids Move
  2. Pringle J. (2020)
    The Conversation
  3. Preserving Durban's Fragile golden mile
  4. Pringle J., Stretch D., Kimmie R. (June 2018)
    Public Sector Manager

Student Supervision


MSc

  1. Modelling the Agulhas Current
  2. Kemira Naidoo (2022)
  3. Improving the reliability of flow models
  4. Smrithi Singh (Submission Expected)
  5. Biophysical Connectivity In A Tidal Basin
  6. Prosper Bopoto (Submission expected)
  7. Modelling coastal water quality at Umhlanga
  8. Leall Williams (Submission expected)
  9. Mapping plastic on beaches using Machine Learning
  10. Robert Boreham (Submission expected)

PhD

  1. On the Hydrodynamics of Coral Reefs.
  2. Atish Deoraj (Submission Expected)

Grants & Awards


Phase 1: Construction impacts of bulkwater supply schemes on river connectivity
R 3 303 450.00
NRF Y- Rating 2020
R50 000.00
PI TIA: Ocean Energy to Electricity
R50 000.00
RDE grant (2019): Research and Development Grant for Emerging Researchers
R650 000.00
Co­-PI TIA : Ocean Wave Energy to Electricity
R650 000.00
RDE grant (2020): Research and Development Grant for Emerging Researchers
R100 000.00

Professional Projects


Long term Hydraulic and sediment modelling using Mike by DHI for the Jagersfontein Tailings Dam Failure
Leading a scientific and engineering team to identaify causal mechanisms of backflooding and provide remedial solutions.
Coastal vulnerability analysis and shoreline protection design for Milnerton Beach Cape Town
Managing and facilitating the construction of coastal protection works at Umdloti (KZN) - R17 000 000.00
Development of a coastal, river and atmoospheric early warning forecast system for eThekwini Municaplity. Data management and programming.

Coursework Teaching


Undergraduate
ENCH1TC
Technical commincations for Engineers
ENCV3MS
Mathematical systems for engineers
ENCV3FA
Fluid mechanics/hydraulics for civil engineers
ENCV3FB
Hydraulics and hydrology for engineers
ENCV4WE
Water and Environmental Engineering
ENCV4DS
Dissertation projects (typically 5-10 projects/yr)
ENCV4DE
Design projects (typically 5-10 projects/yr)

Leadership and Service


Research
University
Chair: Academic Focus Group
2018-2020
UKZN CPD course office
2022-
UKZN MSc ENG (civil) curriculum development
2022-
Community Service
National and community radio interviews
Mentor for Engineers without borders
2020
Developed CPD courses for industry
2021
Professional
Jagersfontein: Intergovernmental environmental rehabilitation specialist committee: Leading the hydraulic and sediment transport numerical modelling component to predict long term effects.
2023
St Lucia Dredging and Clearing: Leading the Science and Engineering team.
2023

Collaborative Multi-disciplinary Research


Prof Dave Dorrell
Ocean wave renewable energy
Dr Matthew Burnett, Dr Gordon O'Brien (UMP SA), Prof Aline Cotel (UMICH USA)
Fish pass design and river ecology
Oceanographic Research Institute (ORI)
Coral reef hydrodyanmics

References


Prof Derek Stretch
University of KwaZulu Natal
Prof András Bardossy
Universität Stuttgart
Dr Stefano Corbella
CCS