Dr Linda Kotta

Dr Kotta’s formal qualifications include a PhD (2011) from The University of Cape Town, South Africa. The PhD, entitled Structural Conditioning and Mediation by Student Agency: A Case Study of Success in Chemical Engineering Design, investigated the experiences of a diverse cohort of final year engineering students in a South African university to understand the differential performances observed. The study employed a realist philosophy which provided rich explanations of observed phenomena.

The study concluded that macro institutional and societal effects are at work in micro settings by providing contexts and conditions for action.These influences are not always deterministic, merely conditioning. The study also showed that at times institutional identities stand in the way of educational progress and that until the often contradictory macro and micro agendas are reconciled, there will be no progress, and the student will always pay the price.

Dr Kotta also holds a Bachelor of Chemical Engineering (2001) from The University of Natal (South Africa) as well as Master of Education (2005) from The University of Witwatersrand (South Africa).

After her Bachelor’s degree Dr Kotta spent a number of years as a metallurgical trainee for Anglogold in the East Rand in South Africa.

Dr Kotta has an interest in the student experience. In particular she is interested in engineering curricula that respond to diverse student cohorts, that promote collegiality among colleagues and that equip students to be future leaders.