A passion for music and numbers, Moses Phiri (AKA DJ 10111) recently graduated with his PhD in statistics, reminding people that we are not bound to a single dream!
North-West, South Africa (30 May 2024)—The arts and sciences are often pinned against one another (largely thanks to left-brain, right-brain debates that try to box people into being one way or another). While oftentimes this couldn’t be further from the truth (geometry is often integral to the world art and design, numbers and music walk hand-in-hand and there are few classes of technology that exist without creativity), it still seems to surprise society when one person decides to harness both left and right-brained passions. Worse, society still seems to think that you have to pick one flavour of passion.
Dr Moses Phiri is a perfect example that actually, you can do both. Better yet, you should try to!
Known to many as DJ 10111, Moses recently graduated with his PhD in statistics as awarded by the North-West University.
Moses graduated cum laude in 2010 with his bachelor’s degree after a university experience where both crunching numbers and cooking up beats were prevalent in his life. He was the resident DJ on campus and even co-founded the NWU DJ Society with other DJs, all while hitting the books to become a sorcerer of statistics.
As DJ 10111, he got to share stages with the likes of Grammy winners Black Coffee and Zakes Bantwini as well as many other prominent figures in South Africa’s music scene. On the other side of his pursuits, he got his honours degree, joined Statistics South Africa and travelled across the pond to work as a data science manager and eventually, as a data science director.
A lover of learning, Moses has continued to add to his educational achievements over the years; earning his MBD in strategic leadership in 2020 and of course, his recent PD.
Though embracing both passions hasn’t always been easy, it has also been worth it.
“Balancing my passion for music and academic pursuits has been challenging but rewarding. I’m grateful for the support from the NWU and the opportunities that have come my way,” he shares.
Meanwhile, in another shining example of art and maths making magic happen, Last month Dr Esther Mahlangu was awarded another honorary doctorate, this time for her gorgeous integration of math principles that have shaped her iconic art style!
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