Prof Eric Van Steen wins the NRF Champion of Research Capacity Development and Transformation Award

Professor Eric van Steen holds the DSI-NRF South African Research Chair in Reaction Engineering at UCT and was a researcher in the now expired DSI-NRF Centre of Excellence in Catalysis (c*change). His work focuses on COx hydrogenation (both Fischer-Tropsch synthesis and CO2 hydrogenation); selective aerobic oxidation of methane; and water splitting, and he tries to obtain a fundamental understanding of the working of catalysts through the development of model systems such as mixed iron-copper/silver oxides as catalyst precursors; hybrid catalysts; and inverse model catalysts, as well as theoretical models (using Density Functional theory). Prof van Steen obtained his MSc from the Eindhoven University of Technology in The Netherlands and his Dr- Ing from Karlsruhe University of Technology in Germany. He joined UCT’s Department of Chemical Engineering in 1995 as a Senior Lecturer and was promoted to Professor in 2001 and has served from 2002-2007 and 2015-2018 as the Head of Department.

He is popular with the undergraduate students with many choosing to complete their final year research under his tutelage and thus attracts many students for the undergraduate student body. He takes a personal interest in each of his students, in relation to their chosen careers and in ensuring that they overcome any problems in their studies, and holds regular meetings with them to ensure that they are coping at a personal level as well. A number of his students have remained in academia as Senior Lecturers at UCT and elsewhere. He also endeavours to maintain contact with his postgraduates.

Over his 30-year career, Prof van Steen has supervised more than 200 students – 26 PhDs, 47 MScs and more than 135 BSc. He has geared his supervisory role for BSc students to reflect the demographics of the university’s undergraduate cohort – 68% Black (African, Coloured, Indian and Chinese) and 32% White with 33% women. His MSc cohort has consisted of 64% Black and 32% White students and 49% women while his PhD cohort consisted of 58% Black and 42% White, with 38% women. He has also supervised three postdoctoral Fellows over the last five years.