She has 10 years' experience as an academic at UCT. During this time she served as an Executive member of the Academics Association and was the President of the Academics Union from 2006-2010. She is a founding member of Cell-Life, an NGO focused on the improving HIV treatment in under-resourced settings. Her research interest lies in the area of basic service delivery to the rural poor in developing countries, and in this function she heads up the iCOMMS team, an interdisciplinary group that supports government structures in offering community oriented and sustainable municipal services. Ulrike served as a member of Council elected by the academic staff for the period 2009 to 2012 and has been re-elected by the academic staff to serve a second term on Council.