Latest News Archive

Please select Category, Year, and then Month to display items
Previous Archive
10 June 2024 | Story Precious Shamase | Photo Supplied
Prof Richard Ocaya
Prof Richard Ocaya, Associate Professor from the Physics Department.

Prof Richard Ocaya from the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at the University of the Free State (UFS) Qwaqwa  Campus has achieved a significant milestone with a newly patented invention. This patent, developed in collaboration with researchers from Turkey and Saudi Arabia, is the result of work that began in 2017, focusing on a special material known as graphitic carbon nitride.

This breakthrough in temperature measurement technology aligns perfectly with the university's Vision 130 commitment to innovation and addressing global challenges. The new device offers a unique solution to a longstanding issue in the field, providing accurate temperature measurements across an extremely wide range. Existing solutions often require multiple devices, leading to increased costs and reduced accuracy, but this invention simplifies the process.

The device, based on a combination of graphitic carbon nitride and silicon, can measure temperatures from -250°C to 250°C with exceptional consistency and linearity. This range and accuracy set it apart from current technologies, making it suitable for various applications, from standard temperature measurement to specialized settings involving extreme temperatures. It could be especially valuable in deep-space exploration, where equipment faces drastic temperature fluctuations.

The patent underscores the university's commitment to fostering collaborative research, a key aspect of Vision 130. Prof Ocaya attributes the success of the invention to the robust nature of the team, established in 2015. The team is now seeking to commercialize the technology by licensing it to a suitable partner, with organizations like NASA expected to show significant interest.

Prof Ocaya advises other academics considering patenting their inventions to ensure the patent solves a real problem uniquely and is based on sound principles. This makes the invention reproducible and protects it from being copied, assigning exclusive rights to the patent holder. Patenting allows for either manufacturing the devices or licensing them to third parties for royalties and profit. He notes that the main consideration is that the innovation must be practical and solve a specific problem in a novel and commercially viable way. He also acknowledges the challenge many academics face, as the "publish or perish" mentality often leads to choosing scientific articles over patents.

Despite securing the patent, Prof Ocaya and his team continue their research efforts, exploring new possibilities while balancing practical research with academic pursuits. He believes the invention will significantly impact the field of temperature measurement, being integrated into many new designs requiring such measurements.

The university proudly supports this innovative research and anticipates its real-world impact, furthering Vision 130's commitment to increasing UFS's research capacity and capability.

News Archive

Trevor Manuel and Max du Preez among the recipients of honorary doctorates at UFS graduation
2016-07-02

Description: 4 Hon Docs Tags: 4 Hon Docs

The UFS awarded four honorary doctorates
at its Winter Graduation ceremonies.
The recipients are from left Max du Preez,
Dr Reuel Jethro Khoza, Prof Joel Samoff
and Trevor Manuel at the UFS Chancellor’s
Dinner on 30 June 2016.

Photo: Johan Roux

He is excited about the young minds he saw and interacted with at the graduation ceremony of the University of the Free State (UFS). This is what Max du Preez, one of South Africa’s leading journalists and political analysts, said after receiving an honorary doctorate.

According to Du Preez (Humanities), he was inspired by the Winter Graduation ceremony on 30 June 2016 in the Callie Human Centre on the Bloemfontein Campus. He is happy to finally also call the UFS his alma mater. He grew up in Kroonstad and is a true Free Stater, but previously graduated at the Stellenbosch University.

The UFS awarded four honorary doctorates – the others to Prof Joel Samoff (Humanities), Trevor Manuel and Dr Reuel Jethro Khoza (both Economic and Management Sciences) – and two Chancellor’s medals at the morning ceremony on 30 June 2016. Chancellor’s medals were awarded to Antony Osler and Marguerite van der Merwe (née Osler).

Manuel impressed by amount of soul

At the Chancellor’s Dinner, which was held in the Centenary Complex on the Bloemfontein Campus on 30 June 2016, Du Preez said he feels honoured. He said South Africans must embrace the diversity of the country, and the UFS is a good example. “If the University of the Free State can make it, South Africa can make it.”

Manuel, a former South African Finance Minister, said he is honoured by the amount of soul he experienced from Dr Khotso Mokhele, UFS Chancellor, and Prof Jonathan Jansen, Vice-Chancellor and Rector of the UFS. “We cannot tolerate what is wrong (in the country) and need to push the boundaries of what is right,” he said.

UFS stands out regarding understanding


Dr Khoza, a distinguished thinker and businessman, also thanked the UFS at the Chancellor’s Dinner. “We shall strive to be known less for what we say, but rather more for what we do,” he said about the country.
According to Prof Samoff, Professor in Africa Studies at Stanford University (USA), “South Africa has committed itself to building a democratic, non-racist, and non-sexist society”. “Where the University of the Free State stands out, is in its understanding that societal change – ‘transformation’, to use the current terminology – is not an outcome, but a process. A difficult process.”

 

Media Enquiries

Contact person: Lacea Loader (Director: Communication and Brand Management)
Tel: +27(0)51 401 3422/2707 or +27(0)83 645 2454
Email: news@ufs.ac.za | loaderl@ufs.ac.za
Fax: +27(0)51 444 6393

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