Dr Xavier Poshiwa

Dr Xavier Poshiwa has been appointed as the Dean of the Gary Magadzire School of Agriculture.Dr Xavier

Poshiwa graduated in 1997 with a BSc Honours in Agriculture (Animal Science), an MSc in Animal Science in

2000, from the University of Zimbabwe and a PhD in Rangeland Ecology in 2013 from Wageningen University,

The Netherlands. After graduating with an MSc, he started his research career at Grasslands Research

Station, Marondera, Zimbabwe as a Rangeland Ecologist in the year 2000. In 2007, he joined the Resource

Ecology Group, Wageningen University, through the INREF project “Competing claims on natural resources:

overcoming mismatches in resource use through multi-scale perspectives”.

In 2012, Dr Poshiwa joined Great Zimbabwe University as a Senior Lecturer up to December 2012. Dr Poshiwa

has been working for Marondera University of Agricultural Sciences and Technology, then UZMCAST as a

Senior Lecturer since January 2013. He was appointed Acting Dean of Studies in October 2014 up to 7

October 2019 and Acting Dean of Faculty of Agricultural Sciences and Technology from January 2019 to

date.

Dr Poshiwa took part in various collaborative research programmes: “Tropical forage and ley legume

technology for sustainable grazing and cropping systems in Southern Africa”, funded by ACIAR (2000 to

2005); “The effects of ultra- high Stocking density grazing management procedure on the productivity of

veld and livestock – a monitoring exercise” (2000) – Sponsored by Cattle Producers Association of

Zimbabwe and “Symbionts in Agro forestry systems: What are the long term impacts of inoculation on the

growth of Calliandra calothyrsus and its intercrops?”, funded by the EU (2001 to 2006).

Dr Poshiwa is a Rangeland ecologist who has research interest in animal nutrition, pasture and rangeland

sciences and nature conservation and management. He has published twenty-one (21) publications in

International peer-reviewed book chapters and refereed journals. Dr Poshiwa has supervised and co-

supervised 9 Undergraduate and 7 Masters students. Has taught undergraduate and Master of Science

courses in Dairy production, Forage, fodder and soil improving crops, Ecology and Management of Wildlife

and Rangeland animal production.

GZU APPOINTS NEW DEANS

Dr Eriyoti Chikodza

Dr Eriyoti Chikodza has been appointed as the Dean of the School of Natural Sciences.Prior to his

latest appointment, Dr Eriyoti Chikodza served as the Dean of the then merged Gary Magadzire

School of Agriculture and Natural Sciences. He holds a DPhil in Mathematics from the University of

Zimbabwe (UZ)[2011], MSc in Mathematics [UZ,1996], BSc Special Honours (UZ, 1996) and Licentiate

in Mathematics Education [Jose Varona, Cuba ,1992]. He has chaired several university committees

and subcommittees, such as the Quality Assurance Committee, the Research and Posts-graduate

Committee, the Work-Related Learning Committee and the subcommittee on Decorations and

Ushering.

He has held positions of Acting Dean of the Gary Magadzire School of Agriculture and Natural

Sciences, Director of the School of Natural Sciences and Chairperson of the Department of

Mathematics and Computer Science. He was a member of the team that spearheaded the

development of Mathematics degree programmes in the School of Agriculture and Natural

Sciences.

Over the years, Dr Chikodza has published research articles in various international peer-reviewed

journals which include the International Journal of Stochastic Analysis and Applications,

Communications on Stochastic Analysis, Journal of Uncertainty Theory and the International Journal

of Mathematics in Operations Research, to mention a few. He has presented research papers at

numerous international and national conferences.

To date he has supervised, to completion, several Masters and PhD candidates. Currently, he

supervises and co-supervises post graduate students from Great Zimbabwe University, Midlands State

University, the National University of Science and Technology Bindura University of Science

Education. His research interests lie in Stochastic Analysis, Financial Engineering Uncertainty Theory

and Mathematics of Finance.

Professor Bernard Chazovachii

Professor Bernard Chazovachii has been appointed as Dean of the Julius Nyerere School of Social

Sciences.Professor Bernard Chazovachii has been Acting Dean of the Julius Nyerere School of Social

Sciences since 01 June 2019 before his latest appointment as the substantive Dean of the School.

A guru in geography as well as rural and urban planning, Prof Chazovachii joined Great Zimbabwe

University 13 years ago. Starting off as a temporary full-time lecturer in the Department of Rural and

Urban Planning in 2007, Professor Chazovachii has served as Departmental Chairperson, Acting

Deputy Dean, School Research Chairperson, Work Related Learning Coordinator and Research and

Innovation Hub Chairperson before his latest assignment.

Prof Chazovachii holds a PhD in Geography from the University of the Free State (South Africa, 2016),

an MSc in Rural and Urban Planning (UZ,2007), a Post Graduate Diploma in Project Planning and

Management(UZ,2004), BSc Special Honours in Geography and Environmental Sciences, Bachelor of

Arts General Degree (UZ,2001). He is also a holder of a Post Graduate Diploma in Higher and Tertiary

Education (GZU, 2018). Professor Chazovachii is currently the School Work Related Coordinator of the

Julius Nyerere School of Social Sciences and a member of various committees.

He is a member of BRAND Zimbabwe Campaign Committee, a reviewer of the Dzimbabwe Journal

of Multidisciplinary Research (GZU). Professor Chazovachii has published several articles in refereed

national and international journals. He has also presented numerous papers at several national and

international conferences. He supervises research projects for masters' and PhD candidates at

several institutions in Zimbabwe and South Africa. His research areas are rural and urban livelihoods,

rural institutions and production systems, smallholder irrigation agriculture sustainability, urban policy

and planning, project planning and management, and monitoring and evaluation. He has

collaborated in researches funded by Care International (Zimbabwe), Dialogue on Shelter for the

Homeless in Zimbabwe Trust and the Homeless people's Federation.