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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.
Well known US and international law scholar honoured
2014-09-22
 Prof Ralph Mawdsley
Photo: Stephen Collett |
On 11 September 2014 the Faculty of Law inaugurated Prof Ralph Mawdsley as extraordinary professor. Prof Mawdsley is from the Cleveland-Marshall School of Law at the Cleveland State University in Ohio. He delivered his inaugural lecture titled ‘Diversity, Affirmative Action and Higher Education: Searching for Clarity in Federal Court Decisions’.
In his lecture Prof Mawdsley traced the complex road the US has travelled since the seminal judgment in Brown v Board of Education and the various differing views on the interpretation of compelling interests – with particular reference to race and diversity in the context of university admission policies.
In her introductory address, Prof Caroline Nicholson, Dean of the Faculty of Law, referred to Prof Mawdsley’s phenomenal resume of countless publications, national and international awards and numerous citations in court opinions, appellate briefs and law treatises. The honour extended to Prof Mawdsley coincides with the continuous drive by the UFS to establish a reputable international profile. During his visit, Prof Mawdsley consulted with various UFS staff members with regard to mutually interesting research matters.