Rate My Professor Linke Potgieter

Linke Potgieter is an Associate Professor in the Department of Logistics within the Faculty of Economic and Management Sciences at Stellenbosch University, where she serves as Chairperson of the department. She obtained her PhD in Operations Research from Stellenbosch University in 2013, with a dissertation titled 'A mathematical model for the control of Eldana saccharina Walker using the sterile insect technique.' Since completing her doctorate, she has been employed as a lecturer and researcher at the university, advancing to her current position. Potgieter founded and leads the Surgor research group, which focuses on operations research applications, particularly in integrated pest management and sterile insect releases. Her research interests encompass ecological modelling, epidemiological modelling, healthcare optimisation, and healthcare systems. She is recognized for her contributions to decision support modelling in public health and agriculture.

Potgieter's scholarly output includes numerous peer-reviewed publications. Notable works comprise 'Mobile clinics routing and scheduling in the Witzenberg region of the Western Cape Province, South Africa' (PLOS ONE, 2025, co-authored with H.J. Callaghan and N. Le Roux), 'Combining sterile insect releases with refuge areas to delay the evolution of resistance to Bt sugarcane: an agent-based modeling approach' (Journal of Economic Entomology, 2024), 'Landscape configurations of refuge areas that delay the evolution of resistance to Bt maize' (Journal of Economic Entomology, 2023, co-authored with D.J. Human), and 'Allocating epidemic response teams and vaccine deliveries by drone to critical locations in South Africa' (PLOS ONE, 2021, co-authored with D. Matter). She holds leadership roles such as Acting President of the Operations Research Society of South Africa (ORSSA) for 2025 and participates in international conferences like the Euro Working Group on Operational Research Applied to Health Services (ORAHS). Potgieter teaches courses including Agent-Based Modelling and Optimisation for Machine Learning. Her work bridges operations research with real-world challenges in health services and ecological management.