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More than 600 BSc graduates capped
Author: Media and communication, Faculty of Science
Published: 05/12/2017

A chancellor's award and more than 600 BSc degrees were on the menu at the Faculty of Science's graduation ceremony that took place on Monday 4 December 2017.

Prof Len Barbour, a world-leader in solid-state supramolecular chemistry and one of only three chemists in South Africa with an A-rating from the National Research Foundation (NRF), was the recipient of the SU chancellor's award. The award is given in recognition of staff whose careers attest to sustained excellence over their whole career and can only be received once in a person's career.

Prof Barbour has established a world-class laboratory in SU's Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science, where he leads a prolific research group of 20 postgraduate students and post-doctoral fellows. Their publications have been cited over 12 000 times and have made a substantial contribution to the University's scientific research output.

This year the Mathematics Division in the Department of Mathematical Sciences boasts with five doctoral degrees in mathematics. Close on their heels are the Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science with four new PhDs. All in all, 25 PhD-, 54 MSc-, 183 BScHons- and 377 BSc-degrees were awarded.

The five new doctors in mathematics are (front, from left to right) Dr Joseph K Mahasa, Dr Valisoa Razanajatovo Misanantenaina, Dr Jacques Masuret and Dr Kevin Durant. At the back is Dr Joubert Oosthuizen with Prof Stephan Wagner (division head of mathematics) and Prof Ingrid Rewitzky (vice-dean teaching and learning and head of the Department of Mathematical Sciences. Photo: Stefan Els