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SU chemists inducted as Fellows of SA Chemical Institute and Royal Society of SA
Author: Faculty of Science (media & communication)
Published: 08/10/2024

​Three chemistry lecturers in Stellenbosch University's Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science have been inducted as Fellows of the South African Chemical Institute (SACI).

Profs Delia Haynes, Bert Klumperman and Willem van Otterlo received recognition from SACI for a variety of services to their discipline which could include contributions to scientific research, achievements in the teaching and learning of chemistry, and providing effective leadership within the broader chemical community.

Prof. Haynes specializes in the field of crystal engineering with multicomponent molecular crystals. This involves understanding and using intermolecular interactions to design molecular materials with interesting and useful physical properties. In 2021 she was elected as the first president of the newly established African Crystallographic Association. She has previously been recognised for her research as the recipient of the 2015 Jan Boeyens Award and was a Fulbright Scholar in 2010.

Prof. Klumperman held the South African Research Chair (SARChi) in Advanced Macromolecular Architectures at SU from 2006 until 2022, and since 2007 he has received an A-rating from the National Research Foundation. He has received numerous awards, including the SACI Gold Medal (2013), the SASOL Innovator of the Year medal (2015), the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) Lifetime Award (2016), and the John FW Herschel of the Royal Society of South Africa (2018).

Prof. Van Otterlo's research focuses on the utilization of modern synthetic methodologies for the synthesis of small, functional organic molecules. Of particular interest is the use of natural products as structural muses for the development of new anti-cancer agents. In terms of awards, he has received the SACI Raikes Medal (2004), and the Alexander von Humboldt Foundation's Georg Foster Research Fellowship for Experienced Researchers (2008-2009).

On top of that, Prof. Van Otterlo, current head of the department, has also been elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of South Africa (RSSAf). Established in 1908, the RSSAf is considered South Africa's premier multidisciplinary scientific organisation.

Postgraduate students in the department also did their part. Dr Gestél Kuyler was awarded the prestigious SACI Postgraduate Medal as the best PhD student at SU, while Ms Lisa de Wet was awarded the James Moir medal for the best BSc Honours student in chemistry at SU for 2023. A current MSc student in the department, Mr Reece Tuck, received the same medal for his BSc Honours degree completed at Nelson Mandela University.

Prof. Burtram Fielding, Dean of the Faculty of Science at SU, congratulated the prizewinners: “We are very proud of you and thank you for your commitment to our faculty and the larger chemistry community."​