Radiology emeritus professor Jan Lotz has obtained his PhD in applied ethics from Stellenbosch University (SU) at the age of 78. The 2005 murder of his only daughterInge, a 22-year-old SU student, profoundly shaped his life. Teaching and mentoring young registrars became his source of purpose and healing, and his PhD thesis is dedicated to her.
It is a moment of closure as much as celebration, he said. “This is not the life myself and my wife Juanita wanted, to be all alone. But we managed to live through this huge tragedy.
The only way to survive it was by giving back, especially to young people,” he said. Lotz overcame significant physical and cognitive hurdles to complete his PhD. A serious fall earlier this year resulted in a traumatic brain injury.
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He was in a coma for three weeks and spent months in hospital and rehabilitation. He persevered to complete his oral examination, clearing the final hurdle to the December graduation. The memory of Inge, two decades after her death, remains a source of motivation for Lotz.
Under “acknowledgements” in his PhD thesis, after thanking his supervisors, it says: “For Inge”. Admitting there were many days when he asked himself if it was worth ‘going on’, he said being able to teach and mentor young registrars gave him ‘something to live for’ Since retirement he has been serving as emeritus professor of radiology (academic) in the division of radiodiagnosis for the past eight years. The position allowed for a new chapter of learning and contribution, Lotz said.
“It gave me the opportunity to work alongside brilliant young people keen to study.” After decades in clinical medicine and teaching, he also immersed himself in the field of applied ethics, completing a postgraduate diploma and an MPhil (in 2020) before beginning his doctoral research. Lotz’s PhD evaluates the ethical foundations of South Africa’s proposedNational Health Insurance (NHI), “engaging critically with some of the most pressing moral questions shaping the country’s future health-care landscape”.
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