​A theoretical physicist and an analytical chemist from the Faculty of Science at SU were awarded the Chancellor’s Award for outstanding achievement during the December 2015 graduation ceremony.

They are prof. Hend​rik Geyer, currently director of the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Studies (STIAS), and prof. Harald Pasch, holder of the SASOL-research chair in Analytical Polymer Science in the Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science.

Prof. Hendrik Geyer was recognised for his outstanding contributions to the community, leadership in the university environment and professional bodies, and excellent research. He served as chair of the Department of Physics, director of the Institute for Theoretical Physics, chair of the Organisation of Theoretical Physicists, as well as board member of the South African Institute of Physics (SAIP). His dedicated efforts led to the establishment of the National Institute for Theoretical Physics (NITHeP) in 2008, where he served as interim director. Since 2008, he has also been director of the Stellenbosch Institute for Advanced Studies (STIAS), where he champions interdisciplinary research. Accolades recognising his research include the Alexander von Humboldt fellowship and the SAIP silver medal.

Prof. Pasch joined SU in 2008 as holder of the SASOL research chair and head of the Polymer section. Over the next seven years he developed the analytical chemistry group in the Department of Chemistry and Polymer Science into an internationally recognised centre of excellence for advanced polymer analysis. With more than 300 peer-reviewed articles behind his name, his present research focuses on multidimensional liquid chromatography, advanced spectroscopy, the development of analytical methods for nanomaterial, and high-throughput experimentation. He has supervised more than 50 postgraduate students in Germany and South Africa.

Nearly 300 BSc degrees and another 255 postgraduate qualifications were awarded during the Faculty of Science’s December 2015 graduation ceremony. This includes 172 BSc-honours degrees, 40 MSc-degrees and 23 Phd-degrees.

On the photo, (left) prof. Hendrik Geyer and (right) prof. Harald Pasch.