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Prof Andreas Roodt receives prestigious prize from SA Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns

09 May 2023 | Story Leonie Bolleurs | Photo Supplied

Prof André Roodt — Prof Andreas Roodt was recently awarded the MT Steyn Prize for Natural Science and Technology Excellence from the SA Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns. He will receive the prize, sponsored by Sanlam, at a function scheduled for September this year.

Prof Andreas Roodt, former Head of the Department of Chemistry at the University of the Free State (UFS) and retired Distinguished Professor in the same department, was recently awarded the MT Steyn Prize for Natural Science and Technology Excellence from the SA Akademie vir Wetenskap en Kuns.

The prize, a major recognition of his life's work, was presented to him for his contribution to the exploration and sustained development of natural science and technology and the successful application thereof in broader society.

Impacting society

About receiving the prize, he says it was a big surprise, but he is very proud to be honoured with this special award, “being an Afrikaans kid from a ‘platteland’ school outside Bloemfontein.”

Prof Roodt’s research focuses on understanding the reaction mechanisms of mainly inorganic coordination chemical systems that are critical to different industrial, medical, environmental, and metal beneficiation processes.

His research, for instance, contributes to important compounds and processes relevant to nuclear medicine and potential cancer therapy. Not so long ago, he registered a patent on this in Europe, Japan, and the USA that could help to diagnose and potentially treat cancer-related tumours in the future.

In addition, he continues to work on several projects aimed at developing cleaner industrial processes in the South African petrochemical industry. He is also focusing on more efficient ways of accessing the country’s mineral resources.

Career highlights

Throughout his academic career, Prof Roodt has achieved many significant milestones. He was extensively involved in crystallography for more than 30 years. One of his career highlights was being elected as the President of the European Crystallographic Association from 2012 to 2015, an organisation with more than 35 member countries.

In this field, he established an X-ray crystallographic facility in the UFS Department of Chemistry, which was officially named the ‘Roodt XRD Lab’ at the end of 2021.

He also sees his journey with the diverse group of 41 PhD and 54 MSc students (Afrikaans, English, Sesotho, Setswana, and isiXhosa) as another notable achievement in his career.

Other outstanding moments in Prof Roodt's career were his collaborations with research leaders from countries such as the USA, UK, Switzerland, Italy, Sweden, France, Croatia, India, Japan, Russia, the Netherlands, Germany, and Tunisia. These collaborations have allowed him to be recognised by peers worldwide and have demonstrated that Africa and South Africa can produce high-quality and relevant research that can compete on an international level.

The future

Despite his appointment as a Distinguished Professor and his commitment to finishing uncompleted work and assisting younger colleagues both in South Africa and abroad, Prof Roodt retired more than a year ago. He is now enjoying his retirement with his wife, children, and grandchildren, while also devoting time to his passion for collecting aloe plants and generating new hybrids.

News Archive

State-of-the-art physics equipment and investment in students result in academic success

2017-09-26

At the recent nanotechnology facility tour at the UFS,
were, from the left, Dr Mthuthuzeli Zamxaka, SAASTA;
Prof Hendrik Swart, Sarchi Chair in the Department of Physics;
and Xolani Makhoba, Department of Science and Technology.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

Nanoscience, which is revealing new properties of very small arrangements of atoms, called nanoparticles, is opening a new world of possibilities. The Department of Physics at the University of the Free State is undertaking fundamental research with potential commercial applications. Its equipment and expertise is giving solid state physics research the edge in South Africa.

The UFS team of researchers and students are passionate about studying planets and atoms, all under one roof. Recently, the department, in collaboration with the South African Agency for Science and Technology Advancement (SAASTA), hosted a nanotechnology facility tour to give the public, learners and the media the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the science of nanotechnology, its origins, potential applications and risks.

Successes of the department
According to Prof Hendrik Swart, Senior Professor in the Department of Physics, the increase in resources since 2008 is playing a big role in the success rate of its research outputs. The Sarchi Chair awarded to Prof Swart in 2012 (bringing with it funding for equipment and bursaries) also contributed to the successes in the department.

The UFS Directorate Research Development also availed funding that was used for bursaries. These bursaries made it possible for the department to appoint 10 post-doctoral fellows, not one of them originally from South Africa.

The investment in people and equipment resulted in researchers and students publishing some 80 articles in 2016. Their work was also cited more than 900 times by other researchers in that year.

Another highlight in terms of the department’s growth in the past 10 years is the new wing of the Physics Building. Physics at the UFS is the only place in sub-Saharan Africa where state-of-the art equipment is found under one roof.

Antonie Fourie, Junior Lecturer in the UFS Department of
Physics, explained to a group of delegates and
members of the media the workings of an electron beam
evaporation system.
Photo: Leonie Bolleurs

Application of research
The department is a unique research facility with equipment that includes the X-ray Photoelectron Spectrometer (for the study of atoms), the Scanning Auger Microscope, as well as the Ion Time-of-Flight Secondary Ion Mass Spectrometer (revealing the chemical bonds in a sample, and drawing maps of the positions of atoms).

One of the areas on which the department is focusing its research, is phosphors. Researchers are exploring light emitting diodes (LEDs) which use less energy, are brighter and provide a wider viewing field. They are also looking into LED displays (LCDs) which are used in flat screens – the phosphors create the different colours and backlighting.

The research on solar cells reveals that phosphors can increase their efficiency by increasing the range of light frequencies which can be converted into electricity. Glow-in-the-dark coatings absorb light in the day and emit it later so cells can charge at night. As glow-in-the-dark phosphors become cheaper and more effective, they can be used as a lighting substitute on the walls of houses, street numbers and stop signs.

Video production of the Department of Physics research and equipment

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