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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.
UFS 2015 group for Stanford Sophomore College announced
2015-06-09

Photo (from left to right): Farzaana Adam, Cornel Vermaak, Anje Venter, Tristan van der Spuy, Precious Mokwala and Naushad Mayat. |
Six second-year students from the UFS were selected to attend a two-week seminar at the Stanford Sophomore College in August/September 2015.
The Stanford Sophomore College (SoCo) is an immersive learning experience. Participants attend class meetings during the morning while afternoons include class activities, explorations of Stanford University (USA), field trips, and other organised events.
Since 2012 UFS students have been invited to apply. This year’s successful applicants were recently announced. They are:
• Farzaana Adam
B. Accounting student
Attending the SoCo seminar on Great Ideas in Computer
• Naushad Mayat
Medicine student
Attending the SoCo seminar on HIV/AIDS Epidemics
• Precious Mokwala
Social Sciences student
Attending the SoCo seminar on Photography: Truth or Fiction
• Tristan van der Spuy
B. Accounting student
Attending the SoCo seminar on A Walk Down Wall Street
• Anje Venter
Actuarial Science student
Attending the SoCo seminar on New Millenium Mix: Cross between Race and Culture
• Cornel Vermaak
Medicine student
Attending the SoCo seminar on The Intersection between Arts and Science
SoCo group of 2014 announement:
http://www.ufs.ac.za/templates/news-archive-item?news=4019
2012:
http://www.ufs.ac.za/templates/news-archive-item?news=2344