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Click on the pink + circle in the lower right corner. You're welcome to attach a photo if you would like to do so. Please remember to add your name.

Thank you!
Annie

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My last physical picture with you before I had to go back home to continue my research.

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I just want to say a big thank you for stepping out of your supervisory role to becoming a mother to me on this tough journey. I can't recount here all the numerous times you calmed me down and stood by me through personal losses and anxiety. Your incredible insights and suggestions into researching organised crime has and continues to shape not just my research journey, but my entire career.
A thousand words won't be enough to say thank you for your outstanding contribution to academia in general, and to me personal.
Thank you ma.

Faith Tunde-Yara

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"Baki kalan bu gokkubede, hos bir seda imis" Goes a famous verse in a Turkish poem. The verse roughly translates into "The remaining on this dome of the sky is a pleasant sound", which reflects on the idea that even though everything else in the world may come and go, the beauty and melody of nature remain eternal. You were that kind and beautiful melody that will always brighten my memories from South Africa/Cape Town. I am forever grateful for your contributions to my academic and personal life.

Besir OZ
2016 Criminology Cohort

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I moved to Cape Town from Ireland after briefly speaking with Clifford Shearing about starting a PHD. I remember the morning in Muizenberg meeting him for the first time over coffee when he told me he was stepping back from supervising PHDs. My heart stopped. I had just left a job, a house and thought...what now..until he said, 'I think I know someone who would be a perfect supervisor for you, Elrena Van Der Spuy'. How right he was.  Just as there are natural born leaders, so too are there natural born Professors and Elrena VDS is the mother of them all. Her knowledge, connections, humour and guidance can never be captured between a few written lines. Anyone can supervise and teach, but to do it well, developing student minds as well as their confidence is one of Elena's (many) innate skills. My life changed for the better when I met her and I value our long distance friendship and ability to share stories with new students, regardless of time differences. I'm sorry I cannot be there in person but wish the MC all the best because again..just another of her innate skills. Wishing Elrena all the best for the next chapter of discovery and her writing room by the water is ready here in Maine, US for her! Gráinne Perkins (another one of her successful PhDs;)

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Quando tutto sembrava cadere, quando nulla sembrava funzionare, arrivava per mostrarti la strada! Un grazie non sarà mai abbastanza! Grazie Elrena! Spero di aver imparato almeno un po' di quello che mi hai insegnato!

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Supervisor extraordinaire, human extraordinaire.  

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Supervisor extraordinaire, human extraordinaire.  

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Although intimidating at first (as all strong women are) you quickly settle deep into the hearts of those that cross your path. You are so much more than a supervisor to your students – you are a counsellor, a supporter, a cheerleader and an endless source of wisdom. I meant what I said in my thesis - you are not only an amazing supervisor and criminologist, you personify how knowledge and empathy are a formidable force when they collide. May you swim in gin and tonics during your retirement, jy verdien dit! Carina xx

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In the first month of my PhD journey, Elrena and I (along with other new PhD students) went to Muenster for a training. Elrena was one of the instructors. Little did I know then that she would become a strong cheerleader along the way, right up to the end. We shared several talks about the challenges I was facing in writing and she shared hers. I was surprised that even after the PhD, academia continues to be both interesting and challenging but worth it.  Elrena is as versatile as she is brilliant. We shared many interesting talks about African fashion which culminated in a Fashion show for Africa day. This was to set aside the troubled images that populate conversations about the continent so that we could celebrate in unison the positive things that the continent has to offer. The day I learnt that I had passed my PhD thesis, I ran to her office to let her know and she smiled and said, "I know". We had talked the previous day and she had not mentioned a word to me ! Thank you so much for making my experience a wonderful one. As many testimonies you will read will show, you have had a positive influence in our lives in one way or another. I wish you the best in your new endeavour.

My best wishes,
Sophie Nakueira

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I cannot express enough how grateful I am for the hours upon hours we had in our Policing classes. I came with these big ideas and preconceptions about the conduct of police forces which you were always kind enough to help me chisel down and make me realise that scholars have been debating about the very same things for years before me. It gave me a sense of belonging to understand that many of my views had been shared before through the works of great people like Shearing and Marks. You helped stoke in me a desire to seek out papers by academics, not be intimidated by them and even hope that I may even contribute to them. Makaita basa guru, tinotenda chaizvo Professor!👏🏿

- Simba

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Dear Professor Elrena, thank you for being such an amazing supervisor. I was going through one of the most difficult period in my life and as a supervisor you did all you could to help make it easy. You were more than just an academic supervisor,  you cared for my personal wellbeing. I learnt from you how to be a good teacher not just academically but also to be interested in the wellbeing of my students. Thank you for helping me settle in at UCT and most especially  introducing me to my PhD cohort at the Criminology Centre. Congratulations on your retirement.  

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Dear Professor Elrena, thank you for being such an amazing supervisor. I was going through one of the most difficult period in my life and as a supervisor you did all you could to help make it easy. You were more than just an academic supervisor,  you cared for my personal wellbeing. I learnt from you how to be a good teacher not just academically but also to be interested in the wellbeing of my students. Thank you for helping me settle in at UCT and most especially  introducing me to my PhD cohort at the Criminology Centre. Congratulations on your retirement.  

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With love from Suzzie

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Thanks for your support and encouragement during my first few years in the department. Wishing you a fabulous retirement :) You've earned it! I hope there's plenty of travel and adventure to come!
Salona

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All students who once experienced you as a professor will never ever forget you. Thanks for your support at the DAAD Summer Academy 2009 in Germany! We all wish you a good retirement and stay strong! Special greetings from Maria, we we proud to stay at UCT, and glad to meet you there too.
Thomas Feltes, Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Germany

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Have a good Koffie with or without Brandy!
Thomas

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Your impact on my will last a lifetime... :) 

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Your impact on my will last a lifetime... :) 

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Elrena,
The impact you have had on me will last a lifetime. You did things to encourage and support my research in between 2007 and 2010 that I  have only really started to understand and appreciate in the last 5 years or so.

Elrena was my Honours supervisor in 2007. I was friendly with some car guards in Claremont, so I hung out with them - and tried to write about their relationship with other 'security providers' in the area.

Elrena was unbelievably excited about my work. She encouraged me to do 'ethnography at the edge', and lent me a book with the same title. She was so supportive of my curiosity, and gave me space to really think through what I was observing. Whenever I met with Elrena she was so excited to hear what I had been doing, I felt so encouraged to keep going with my research. I received a first for my thesis - in large part due to Elrena's guidance and enthusiasm - it was the first time I felt like I was doing 'real' research, and asking the messy questions about ethics and subjectivity.

In 2008 I registered for my Masters Thesis. I already had a research question and during registration week I had a conversation with Elrena about my Masters, she convinced me to change my registration from a Coursework Masters to a Research Masters. This was such an important decision in my life.

My topic wasn't even really 'criminology', I spent time with Congolese refugees trying to understand how they made sense of their lives in Cape Town. I did a Masters in Criminology, but really it was a piece looking at the relationship between language, space and identity. Even the boundaries of our discipline were up for debate (or just ignored so we could ask really interesting questions)!

Elrena made my slightly out-there research ideas seem completely doable, she encouraged me to ask questions as deeply as I wished, and never tried to get me to 'fit in' to an academic box or limit my thinking.

Elrena's courageous supervision, and willingness to think through difficult-to-answer-questions has stayed with me and deeply impacted the way I think.

It is only since I have got some distance from university, and heard from other people about their stifling, disinterested or narrow-minded supervisors, that I have started to REALLY appreciate how lucky I was to be so encouraged to ask questions, and how your way of being enabled me to think more deeply about the world.

THANK YOU ELRENA.
With love and gratitude,
Adam

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Best regards and wishes from our son Tilmann also - he is, as you know, working in Tansania since 2022, and at the monent in Ruanda and "incommunicado". He appreciated your support during his time in South Africa.

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Thank you Elrena for being a hardworking, wise and friendly colleague at the Law Faculty, who served the faculty well in your various management roles and as a researcher, lecturer and supervisor. Enjoy your retirement!
From Tjakie

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The gown you helped me and so many of us get!

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The gown you helped me and so many of us get!

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Elrena, I can't express how much I appreciate all that you've done for me.

We had some supervision meetings where I walked away thinking, “My mind is blown but what exactly just happened there?” Then days later I would realise I was thinking about things differently. But I only really understood the value when I started to do some supervision. Now I aim to do the same sometimes!

Your passion, patience, kindness, and ability to explore ideas both expansively and deeply, have had a profound impact on my life. Thank you. So much love.

Anine Kriegler

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Dear E
Your constant advice, directions, recommendations and support assisted me in achieving my goals. Those insightful sessions guided me to understand work ethic and work-study balance. Thank you for helping me, to help others. I appreciate you and everything you have done for me.

Heinrich

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I wish to place on record my sincere thanks and appreciation to you for your significant contribution in the academic field of law, and, safety and security, in striving for a safer and better South Africa for all.

Your dedication, commitment and resolve to ensure accountability and an improvement in the levels of police service delivery was unwavering and is lauded.

You are an inspiration to many of us and you leave a lasting legacy, not only on all who know you and have interacted with you, but also all those who read your work and have never met you.

My best wishes accompany you in your future endeavors.

Oswald D. Reddy (Retired) Major General
Western Cape Police Ombudsman