Prof Narnia Bohler-Muller 
Research Theme Leader: Flourishing Life

T: +27 66 085 0459
E: BohlerMullerN@ufs.ac.za

Profile

Prof Narnia Bohler-Muller (BJuris, LLB, LLM, LLD) is a legal scholar and social scientist specialising in constitutional law, democracy, governance, human rights, gender equality, and social justice. She is the leader of the Flourishing Life Research Theme at the University of the Free State, following her tenure as Divisional Executive of the Developmental, Capable and Ethical State Research Programme at the Human Sciences Research Council (HSRC).

Prior to joining the HSRC, she served as Professor of Law at Vista University and Nelson Mandela Metropolitan University, and later as Research Director at the Africa Institute of South Africa. Prof Bohler-Muller has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals and scholarly books and is a frequent keynote speaker at international conferences.

An admitted Advocate of the High Court of South Africa, she has represented South Africa in global forums, including BRICS, the Indian Ocean Rim Association (IORA), and Women20 (W20), where she has played a leading role in advancing gender equality and inclusive governance. Her current research focuses on democratic renewal, constitutionalism, and the concept of human flourishing as a foundation for social justice and public policy.

Naomi Haupt
Project Manager: Research Theme Leaders

T: +27 73 336 1049 / +27 51 401 9432
E: DeValdoNE@ufs.ac.za

Profile

Naomi Haupt serves as Project Manager, supporting the research theme leaders by coordinating research operations, project activities, grant and financial administration, stakeholder engagement, and events. She plays a key role in ensuring the smooth and efficient delivery of research initiatives through strong organisational skills, effective communication, and proactive project support within a dynamic academic environment.

Haupt is also a researcher and author. She has published a journal article in Transformation: Critical Perspectives on Southern Africa (2026) and is co-author of a book chapter forthcoming from Routledge in 2027. In addition to her academic contributions, she has co-authored a travel guide on the Baviaanskloof, reflecting her interest in South Africa's landscapes, history, and cultural heritage.

Known for her analytical approach, attention to detail, and commitment to continuous learning, Haupt combines practical project management expertise with a passion for research, writing, and knowledge sharing.

Reatile Moncho
Research Assistant 

T: +27 84 449 9156
E: MonchoRM@ufs.ac.za 

Profile

Reatile Moncho is a PhD candidate in History at the University of the Free State (UFS), where he also serves as a Research Assistant for the Flourishing Life Research Theme. He earned his Master of Social Science in History, a Bachelor of Social Science Honours in History, and a Bachelor of Social Science in Industrial Sociology and Labour Studies from the University of Pretoria.

His doctoral research examines the shaping of the University of the North between 1959 and 1994, with particular focus on the role of geographic and social locations in the institution's development. Drawing on a historical sociological perspective, his broader research interests include African and South African history, labour history, inequality, and the relationship between institutions and society.
Reatile has extensive experience as a research assistant, as well as experience across archival research, undergraduate education, and university governance. He has also actively contributed to student leadership and institutional policy, particularly concerning humanities funding and postgraduate representation.

Through his research and institutional engagements, he is interested in understanding how societies, communities, and universities are shaped by, and in turn shape, broader social, political, economic, and spatial transformations, with a core commitment to social justice and human development.

Kelee Powell
Research Assistant 

E: PowellKL@ufs.ac.za 

Profile

Kelee Powell serves as a research assistant in the Flourishing Life Research Theme under the guidance and leadership of Prof Narnia Bohler-Muller.

She is a Master of Arts student at the University of the Free State. Specialising in Philosophy of Technology, her research aims to explore the dialectic of generative AI and its role as a tool for weaponisation against Gen Z women in South Africa, where testimonial injustice and feminine resilience grow rampantly, especially as the digital age progresses. This research was presented at the South African Post-Graduate Philosophy Symposium in 2026.

She is also the head of the news department for the UFS campus radio station, Kovsie X (formally Kovsie FM). Having joined campus radio in 2021 as a news anchor, Powell has assumed many roles, including radio presenter, visual presenter, and part-time social media manager, working in collaboration with events and brands including Vodacom, Bloemshow, Varsity Cup, and various on-campus departments.

Her versatility in the campus radio and media industry, as well as her eagerness to expand her research into issues surrounding women’s rights in the technological age and to be one of the voices of the modern feminist movement, is a clear indicator of her value and desire for human flourishing.