2020 FLAIR Fellowship
Dr Leah Charlie Matsinha: Recipient of the 2020 FLAIR Fellowship
On the 11th of May 2020, the African Academy of Sciences and the Royal Society announced the African Recipients of the 2020 FLAIR fellowships. Early career african scientists receive up to £300 000 each to conduct research over 2 years. Midlands State University alumni, Dr Leah Matsinha was the only Zimbabwean to receive this prestigious award for the 2020 fellowship making her the second Zimbabwean after Dr Gift Mehlana who is a 2019 cohort. Dr Leah’s research focuses on the development of cost-effective kerosene range chemicals (fuels) from readily available glycerol, which is a by-product of bio-energy production. The production of cheap alternative fuels will alleviate health problems associated with the use of wood for household cooking.
Leah holds a PhD in Chemistry which she obtained at the University of Cape Town in 2015. She pursed he postdoctoral research fellowship at the University of Johannesburg in South Africa, where she will be conducting her research during the duration of the FLAIR Fellowship. She has expertise in synthetic organometallic chemistry, green chemistry, homogeneous and heterogeneous catalysis. She has published several journals including a book chapter in internationally reputable peer-reviewed journals and has presented her work at various international conferences. Leah is a member of the Catalysis Society of South Africa (CATSA), South African Chemical Institute (SACI) and South African Council of Natural Scientific Professionals (SACNASP). She has also won awards in recognition of her outstanding research career and these include the Department of Science and Technology Women in Science Award (2013) and the Canon Collins Impact Award (2015) and the Arthur E. Martell Early Career Researcher Prize for her paper published in the Journal of Coordination Chemistry in 2018.
CALL FOR NOMINATIONS
May 11, 2019We are currently accepting nominations for our divisions and regional committees. Elections are going to take place during Annual General Meeting to be held alongside 2nd International Conference to held at MSU in July/August 2019 and those elected will start to serve thereafter. The members on our governing committees must represent the breath and diversity of the ZCS with respect to industrial and academic backgrounds, geographical spread, gender, ethnicity and age range. Nominated members will be asked to declare they are willing to make necessary commitments if elected. There are two ways of submitting a nomination.
1. Self- Nomination
2. Proposed Nomination
Any associate member, may self-nominate.
CONGRATULATIONS!
The Zimbabwe Chemical Society (ZCS) congratulates Dr Gift Mehlana for winning £300 000.00 grant from the African Academy of Sciences and Royal Society. The grant is going to be used to carry out a research on capturing CO2 from the environment and convert it to other useful chemicals such as formic acid and methanol.
Dr G Mehlana is the current chairperson of the Midlands State University’s Chemical Technology Department and also the executive member of the Zimbabwe Chemical Society.