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08 May 2024
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The Dean of the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences, Prof Paul Oberholster, has the pleasure of inviting you to the inaugural lecture of Prof Dirk Opperman.
Date: 21 May 2024
Time: 17:30
Venue: Equitas
Click here to RSVP before Wednesday, 15 May 2024. Alternatively, contact Christelle van Rooyen on +27 51 401 9190.
About Prof Dirk Opperman
Prof Dirk Opperman obtained his PhD in Biochemistry at the University of the Free State in 2008. This was followed by postdoctoral research on directed evolution with Prof Manfred T Reetz at the Max Planck Institute for Coal Research (Germany). In 2010, he was appointed in the Department of Microbiology and Biochemistry. He subsequently established structural biology at the UFS, and his current research focus lies at the interface of evolutionary and structure-function relationships of biocatalysts, and their application in green chemistry. He is an NRF B-rated researcher with co-authored papers in Science, Nature Communications, and Angewandte Chemie.
His research has been funded by both local and international organisations, ranging from industries such as SASOL to the Global Challenges Research Fund (GCRF, UK). He has a long-standing collaboration with researchers at the Delft University of Technology (TUDelft, the Netherlands) and is currently part of a European Research Area Network Cofund (ERA-NET Cofund) partnership on Food Systems and Climate (FOSC) that develops biocatalysts for upcycling waste.
Process to appoint rector and vice-chancellor underway
2009-01-20
The process to appoint a rector and vice-chancellor for the University of the Free State (UFS) is underway and the selection committee has compiled a short list of five candidates to interview.
The committee, comprising of vice-rectors, deans and other members of senior management as well as representatives of the UFS Council, Senate, Institutional Forum, Student Representative Council and trade unions compiled the interview list out of the 26 candidates that applied.
“The applications, which closed on 2 December 2008, were received by an independent company specialising in the recruitment of executive and senior academic positions. The post was advertised locally as well as internationally,” says Prof. Teuns Verschoor, Acting Rector of the UFS.
According to Prof. Verschoor interviews will be conducted early February with the five candidates. These candidates are broadly representative in terms of race and gender. “If everything goes according to plan, three candidates will be invited after the interviews to introduce themselves to the university community at a public session to explain their vision and view of their role as rector and vice-chancellor of the UFS. These appearances should take place by the middle of February,” says Prof. Verschoor.
“We intend to submit the appointment of the successful candidate for approval at the meeting of the UFS Council in March,” says Prof. Verschoor. |
Media Release:
Issued by: Lacea Loader
Assistant Director: Media Liaison
Tel: 051 401 2584
Cell: 083 645 2454
E-mail: loaderl.stg@ufs.ac.za
20 January 2009 |