Agar Marín-Morales | Prosocial behavior | Best Research Article Award

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Dr. Agar Marín-Morales | Prosocial behavior | Best Research Article Award

Assistant Professor at University of Huelva, Spain

Dr. Agar Marín-Morales is a highly accomplished Spanish neuroscientist and clinical psychologist with a specialized focus on gender-based violence. Her work intersects neuropsychology, moral cognition, empathy, and emotional regulation in violent male offenders. She currently holds a competitive Juan de la Cierva postdoctoral research position at the Universidad de Huelva. Her research, deeply rooted in interdisciplinary neuroscience, has contributed significantly to understanding the psychological and neural mechanisms underlying intimate partner violence. Dr. Marín-Morales is recognized for her leadership in research, international collaboration, academic teaching, and impactful public engagement.

Publication Profile 

Scopus

Educational Background 🎓

  • 2014 – Licenciatura en Psicología (with Extraordinary Award), Universidad de Huelva, Spain

  • 2016 – Máster en Psicología General Sanitaria (Outstanding), Universidad de Granada

  • 2016 – Máster en Investigación Aplicada a los Trastornos Mentales (Outstanding), Universidad de Huelva

  • 2021 – PhD in Psychology (International Doctorate, Cum Laude, Extraordinary Award), Universidad de Granada

Professional Experience 💼

  • 2024–Present – Juan de la Cierva Postdoctoral Researcher, Universidad de Huelva

  • 2022–2023 – Margarita Salas Postdoctoral Fellow, Universidad de Valencia & Universidad de Granada

  • 2022 – Substitute Lecturer & Researcher, Universidad de Huelva

  • 2021–2022 – Postdoctoral Bridge Fellowship, Universidad de Granada

  • 2016–2021 – FPU Pre-doctoral Researcher, Universidad de Granada

  • She has held research positions in prestigious national and international institutions including research stays at the University of Maryland (USA) and University of Amsterdam (Netherlands).

  • Teaching experience: Over 500 hours, including Master’s programs, supervision of thesis projects, and development of teaching materials.

Research Interests 🔬

  • Primary Focus:

    • Violence against women, especially neuroscientific analysis of male abusers

    • Emotional regulation and empathy

    • Neuropsychological profiling and brain imaging (fMRI)

    • Moral reasoning and social cognition in offender populations

  • Secondary Interests:

    • Psychopathy and forensic psychology

    • Cross-cultural neurodevelopment

    • Innovation in academic instruction and psychological assessment tools

Awards and Honors🏆✨

  • Extraordinary Awards:

    • For Licenciatura (undergraduate studies)

    • For PhD (Doctorate in Psychology)

  • Winner, Institute of Neuroscience, Universidad de Granada (Applied Neuroscience category)

  • Winner, University Equality & Inclusion Office (Doctoral Thesis Award – Equality Modality)

  • Third Place, Government Delegation Against Gender Violence (Best Doctoral Thesis)

  • Winner, National Award for Best University Monograph Publication

  • Multiple best oral communication awards at prestigious national and international conferences

Conclusion🌟

Dr. Agar Marín-Morales demonstrates a rare combination of deep scientific rigor, impactful public engagement, and dedicated teaching. Her research contributes significantly to the psychological and neural understanding of gender-based violence, a pressing social issue. She has published extensively in high-impact journals (Q1, Q2), led innovative projects, developed patented psychological tools, and participated in international collaborations. With a strong academic trajectory and recognized excellence in both research and societal impact, she is an outstanding candidate for academic awards and further research leadership opportunities.

Publications 📚

  • 🧠 “Are psychological measures and actuarial data equally effective…?”
    🔹 PLOS ONE, 2018 | JCR: 2.740 (Q2)
    📈 Citations: 11
    🔗 DOI

  • ⚖️ “Would You Allow Your Wife to Dress in a Miniskirt…?”
    🔹 Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2020 | JCR: 6.144 (Q1)
    📈 Citations: 22
    🔗 DOI

  • 💔 “Emotional Regulation in Male Batterers…”
    🔹 Journal of Interpersonal Violence, 2021 | JCR: 6.144 (Q1)
    📈 Citations: 21
    🔗 DOI

  • 🔍 “Aggression and Individual Characteristics in Correctional Settings”
    🔹 Journal of Psychiatric Research, 2021 | JCR: 4.791 (Q1)
    📈 Citations: 5
    🖊️ Corresponding Author
    🔗 DOI

  • 🧠 “Lower Brain Volume and Poorer Emotional Regulation…”
    🔹 Psychology of Violence, 2021 | JCR: 4.147 (Q1)
    📈 Citations: 7
    🔗 DOI

  • 📖 Book Chapter: “Violencia de género, estrés y sus consecuencias”
    🔹 In Un villano llamado estrés (Pirámide, Editorial Nº1 in Psychology), 2019
    📘 ISBN: 978-84-368-4142-8
    🖊️ Corresponding Author

  • 🔬 “Resting-State Functional Connectivity and Socioemotional Processes…”
    🔹 Scientific Reports, 2022 | JCR: 4.997 (Q1)
    📈 Citations: 10
    🖊️ Corresponding Author
    🔗 DOI

  • 🧩 “Social Mentalizing and Crus II Connectivity in Male Perpetrators”
    🔹 Journal of Psychiatric Research, 2022 | JCR: 5.250 (Q1)
    📈 Citations: 7
    🖊️ Corresponding Author
    🔗 DOI

  • 🧠 “Personality Characteristics in IPV Perpetrators”
    🔹 Clinical Psychology & Psychotherapy, 2022 | JCR: 3.198 (Q2)
    📈 Citations: 13
    🔗 DOI

  • 🌐 “Intrinsic Neural Network Dynamics and Emotion Regulation”
    🔹 Brain Structure and Function, 2023 | JCR: 2.9 (Q1)
    🔗 DOI

 

 

 

 

Mosekama Osia Mokhele | Disaster Management | Best Researcher Award

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Mr. Mosekama Osia Mokhele | Disaster Management | Best Researcher Award

Lecturer at Nelson Mandela University, South Africa

Mr. Mosekama Osia Mokhele is a South African scholar and lecturer specializing in public management, disaster risk governance, and public policy. Currently serving as an nGAP Lecturer at Nelson Mandela University, his academic and professional pursuits focus on decentralised disaster management, public sector reform, capacity development, and ethical governance. He is actively engaged in both academic research and public sector advisory roles, particularly in the domain of disaster risk reduction in South Africa.

Publication Profile 

Scopus

Orcid

Google Scholar

Educational Background 🎓

  1. Doctor of Philosophy in Disaster Management (Joint Degree)
    Vrije University Amsterdam & University of the Free State
    Thesis: Decentralisation of disaster management in South Africa
    (Submitted for examination)

  2. Master of Arts – Public Management
    International University of Japan
    Research: Talent management and employee turnover in the Free State public sector
    GPA: 2.61 (approx. 77–79%)

  3. Magister – Governance and Political Transformation
    University of the Free State
    Research: Gender equality and leadership governance in public service
    Distinction in dissertation, Overall: 74%

  4. BA (Hons) in Public Management
    University of the Free State

  5. B.Tech in Public Management
    Central University of Technology

  6. National Diploma in Public Management
    Central University of Technology

Professional Experience 💼

  • nGAP Lecturer, Nelson Mandela University
    Modules Taught:

    • Public Decision-Making

    • Procurement and Logistics Management

    • Disaster Risk Management

    • Governmental Relations

    • Postgraduate research supervision

  • Teaching Assistant, International University of Japan (2016)
    Courses: Public HR Management, Public Finance, Policy Evaluation, Public Policy Process

  • Consultancy/Advisory Projects:

    • Team member in the national review of South Africa’s National Disaster Management Framework (2005)

Research Interests 🔬

  • Decentralisation and disaster governance

  • Public sector ethics and leadership

  • Local government and service delivery

  • Risk communication in disaster management

  • Human rights integration in disaster preparedness

  • Fiscal decision-making and health service governance

  • Public participation and accountability mechanisms

Awards and Honors🏆✨

Mr. Mokhele’s career is marked by significant scholarly recognition, including:

  • Peer-reviewed publications in leading journals such as International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction and Jamba.

  • Multiple conference presentations at top-tier national and international academic events.

  • Chapter contributions in edited academic books on disaster and public management.

  • Active participation in national advisory forums and external committees under the National and Provincial Disaster Management Centres.

Conclusion🌟

Mr. Mosekama Osia Mokhele emerges as a promising academic and public management professional who combines a strong academic background with practical engagement in policy-relevant disaster risk governance. His contributions to local government capacity-building, risk communication, and decentralised governance frameworks position him as a thought leader in disaster risk management in South Africa. His role as a research supervisor and active participation in academic conferences reflect his dedication to scholarly advancement and mentorship.

He stands out particularly for:

  • Bridging academic insight with public sector challenges.

  • Focusing research on real-world governance issues such as disaster decentralisation and service delivery.

  • Contributing to both national frameworks and grassroots disaster preparedness strategies.

Overall, Mr. Mokhele exemplifies the qualities of an emerging leader in the field of public administration and disaster management.

Publications 📚

  • 🦠 COVID-19 Disaster Response: South African Disaster Managers’ Faith in Mandating Legislation Tested?
    👨‍💼 Authors: O. Kunguma, A. Ncube, M.O. Mokhele
    📘 Journal: Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies, 13(1), pp.1–10
    📅 Year: 2021 | 📊 Citations: 18

  • 👩‍⚖️ Effective Implementation of a Strategic Framework for Gender Equality in the Public Service with Specific Reference to Leadership Governance
    👨‍💼 Author: M.O. Mokhele
    🏫 Institution: University of the Free State
    📅 Year: 2016 | 📊 Citations: 13
    📄 Type: Master’s/PhD Thesis

  • 📢 Investigating the Prevention and Mitigatory Role of Risk Communication in the COVID-19 Pandemic: A Case Study of Bloemfontein, South Africa
    👨‍💼 Authors: O. Kunguma, M.O. Mokhele, M. Coetzee
    📘 Journal: Jàmbá: Journal of Disaster Risk Studies, 13(1), pp.1–11
    📅 Year: 2021 | 📊 Citations: 8

  • 🧭 Centres or Units: Making Sense of Decentralisation of Disaster Management in South African Municipalities
    👨‍💼 Author: M.M. Osia
    📘 Journal: International Journal of Disaster Risk Management, 6(2), pp.19–38
    📅 Year: 2024 | 📊 Citations: 3

  • 🌍 Disaster Risk Management Challenges Towards Integrated Disaster Risk Management at the South African Municipalities: What Is Left Untouched?
    👨‍💼 Authors: M.O. Mokhele, A. Ncube, O. Kunguma
    📗 Book Chapter: Challenges, Strategies, and Resiliency in Disaster and Risk Management, pp. 242–276
    📅 Year: 2024 | 📊 Citations: 3

  • 🛠️ To Explore the Effectiveness of Capacity Development Strategies for Disaster Management in the Sol Plaatjie Local Municipality, South Africa
    👨‍💼 Authors: M.O. Mokhele, T. Fana, K.S. Ramolobe
    📘 Book: Development and Public Issues in Sub-Saharan Africa: The 21st-century …
    📅 Year: 2024 | 📊 Citations: 2

  • 🗣️ The Role of Language as a Catalyst in Communicating Early Warning Messages: A Case Study in Walmer Airport Valley Informal Settlement, Gqeberha, South Africa
    👨‍💼 Authors: M.O. Mokhele, A. Mvanyashe
    📘 Journal: International Journal of Disaster Risk Reduction, Article 105573
    📅 Year: 2025

  • 💰 Centralisation of Financial Decision-Making on Public Hospitals in the Eastern Cape Province
    👨‍💼 Authors: T. Fana, M.O. Mokhele
    📘 Journal: Africa’s Public Service Delivery and Performance Review, 13(1), Article 827
    📅 Year: 2025

  • 🔄 The Effects of Employee Turnover on the Loss of Organisational Knowledge in South African Municipalities: Balancing Rhetoric with Actual Practice
    👨‍💼 Authors: Y. Ndatshe, M.O. Mokhele, A. Jakoet-Salie
    📘 Journal: International Journal of Research in Business & Social Science, 13(7)
    📅 Year: 2024

  • 👥 Effect of Talent Management on Employee Turnover Intentions in the Public Sector: A Case of the Free State Department of Social Development
    👨‍💼 Author: M.O. Mokhele
    🏫 Institution: International University of Japan
    📅 Year: 2017