Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items

UFS pays tribute to Prof Bob Frater

20 February 2024 | Story Lacea Loader | Photo SUPPLIED

The Robert WM Frater Cardiovascular Research Centre (the Frater Centre) at the University of the Free State (UFS) received the sad news of the passing of Prof Robert (Bob) Frater at the age of 95 on 29 January 2024 in New York.

“Prof Frater was and will continue to be regarded as an international icon in heart surgery, especially in mitral valve repair where he described the use of artificial chordae, which is still the international standard today. Since 2006, he has been intimately involved in the establishment of the research programme in the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the UFS, which culminated in the establishment of the Frater Centre in 2015. This would not have been possible without the combined efforts of the UFS and the generous financial support by Glycar – a Pretoria-based company established by Prof Frater,” says Prof Francis Smit, Director of the Robert WM Frater Cardiovascular Research Centre and Head of the Department of Cardiothoracic Surgery at the UFS.

Prof Frater was born in Cape Town and attended Bishops Diocesan College from 1937 to 1946. He excelled at school, both academically and as a sportsman. He was a prefect, captained the tennis team, and played first team rugby. He studied medicine at the University of Cape Town (UCT), achieving a first class in Surgery. He qualified as a cardiothoracic surgeon at the Mayo Clinic and after a stint back in Cape Town, spent the rest of his illustrious career at the Einstein and Montefiore university hospitals in New York. Despite this distance, Prof Frater always maintained and cherished his South African roots, palpably demonstrated by his notable collection of Africana books and art.

“He was an inspiring mentor and educator, and constructively influenced generations of cardiothoracic surgeons trained at the UFS and internationally. His enthusiasm for scientific research and deep understanding of heart valves and tissue engineering have largely determined the research focus of the Frater Centre to this day. He received an honorary doctorate in Medicine from the UFS in 2011 in recognition of his immense contributions to cardiothoracic surgery during his lifetime. Apart from his international recognition and awards, the other outstanding award he received and cherished in South Africa, was the Robert Gray Medal from his old school, Bishops Diocesan College,” says Prof Smit.

At the UFS, he was Prof Smit’s promotor for his PhD on human heart valve transplants (homografts) and inspired an additional five PhD studies (four of which addressed tissue engineering, and one in re-designing a poppet mechanical heart valve, which was named the Frater valve). Studies on heart valve mechanics and hydrodynamics conducted at the Frater Centre in support of these valve developments resulted in three cum laude Master of Engineering degrees awarded by Stellenbosch University. Over time, the Robert WM Frater Cardiovascular Research Centre’s research output steadily increased in scope and quality, mainly due to the values of curiosity, excellence, integrated interdisciplinary collaborative teams, integrity, and mutual respect instilled by Prof Bob Frater.

“Prof Frater was always received ostentatiously in Bloemfontein. The registrars crowded around him, our research team was inspired, wisdom was gained from his vast experience in surgery and research, and no-one was left untouched by the deep humanity of this remarkable man. He was truly an exceptional individual, and a memorable South African.”

We wish to express our sincerest condolences and deepest sympathy to his wife Eileen, sons Hugh, Dirk, and the rest of the family,” says Prof Smit.

News Archive

UFS to award honorary doctorate to Maria Ramos

2004-12-08

The Council of the University of the Free State (UFS) recently approved the awarding of an honorary doctorate to Ms Maria Ramos, Group Chief Executive of Transnet in April 2005. A total of five honorary doctorandi will be honored.

The other doctorandi are Proff Jan Groenewald (D Sc (hc)), Jaap Durand (D Phil (hc)), Sampie Terreblanche (C Dom (hc)) and Anthon Heyns (MD (hc)).

Me Ramos will receive an honorary doctorate in Economics (P hD (Economics) (hc)) for the large contribution she made to the establishment of a prudent fiscal and macro-economic policy in South Africa and hence, to the restoration of the financial credibility of the country in the eyes of domestic and foreign investors. Ms Ramos was the Director General of the National Treasury from 1996-2003.

She obtained the MSc-degree in Economics in 1992 from the University of London and was awarded a British Council Scholarship (Helen Suzman award) in the same year and in 1991. During the early nineties she was among others project leader of the ANC’s Macro-economic Research Group and also a member of the team that negotiated chapters on finance in the interim Constitution of South Africa. She was a research associate at the Centre for the Study of the South African Economy and International Finance at the London School of Economics and also lectured at the Universities of South Africa and the Witwatersrand.

“It is a great privilege for us to honor Ms Ramos and the other doctorandi in their different fields of expertise. This once again serves as an example of the UFS’s policy to give recognition to people who excel and make a difference,” said Prof Frederick Fourie, Rector and Vice-Chancellor of the UFS.

Prof Jan Groenewald will receive an honorary doctorate for his life-long commitment to the establishment and development of Agricultural Economics as a subject field in South Africa and in Africa and his various contributions to the UFS. During his career, Prof Groenewald received various awards among others in 1998 when he received the Stals Prize for Economics from the South African Academy for Science and Art and in 1990 when he received an honorary medal from the South African Society for Agricultural Economics.

Prof Jaap Durand will receive an honorary doctorate in Philosophy for his pioneering work on various fields in the South African society. He obtained his Masters degree in Philosophy from the UFS and contributed to almost 60 articles and collections. Prof Durand has a colourful career as academic manager: from professor in Systematic Theology and dean of the Faculty of Theology at the University of the Western Cape to Deputy Vice-Chancellor of the same university. He was the ombudsman of the University of Stellenbosch from 2002-2003.

Prof Sampie Terreblanche will receive an honorary doctorate in Economics for the important role he played, and is still playing, to keep the debate about and the need for socio-economic and socio-political reform in South Africa going. Prof Terreblanche started his career as a lecturer at the UFS. In 1992 the Stals Prize for Economics was awarded to him by the South African Academy for Science and Art. Prof Terreblanche was also a founding member of ASSET, an organisation addressing the problems of poverty, inequality and social injustice in South Africa.

Prof Anthon Heyns, Chief Executive Officer of the South African National Blood Service, will receive an honorary doctorate in Medicine. Prof Heyns is a well-known international researcher in Hematology and recently received a Centenary Medal from the UFS for his strong role and national prominence as expert and leading figure in establishing and developing Hematology at the UFS. He was the first head of the UFS’s Department of Hematology and is also co-editor of the only Afrikaans hand book of Hematology. He serves among others as a council member and member of the executive management of the South African Medical Research Council. On the international front he serves on at least five committees of the World Health Organisation based in Geneve, Switzerland. He has two honorary appointments as professor respectively at the UFS and University of the Witwatersrand.

Media release
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Media Representative
Tel: (051) 401-2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@mail.uovs.ac.za
8 December 2004

Back

Economic and Management Sciences

Education

Health Sciences

The Humanities

Law

Natural and Agricultural Sciences

Theology and Religion

Open Distance Learning

Business School

We use cookies to make interactions with our websites and services easy and meaningful. To better understand how they are used, read more about the UFS cookie policy. By continuing to use this site you are giving us your consent to do this.

Accept