Duncan Fraser graduated with a first-class honours degree in Chemical Engineering at UCT in 1968. After completing his PhD and working for three years at the Caltex refinery in Milnerton, he returned to lecture in the Chemical Engineering Department at UCT in 1979. He quickly became engaged in the challenges of teaching an increasingly diverse student body.
Duncan played a significant role in curriculum development and in establishing two Academic Development Lecturer posts in the Chemical Engineering department. He was a founding member of CREE and actively involved in the broader development of UCT’s undergraduate education. Duncan’s research on teaching and learning in engineering education was internationally recognised and he was regarded as one of the best and most innovative engineering educators in the field. He was on the Board of REEN (Research in Engineering Education Network) and was appointed President-Elect of the International Federation of Engineering Education Societies (IFEES).
His legacy is not only the field of engineering education at UCT, which he pioneered, but also the influence he had on the many students, staff and colleagues who were mentored, encouraged and inspired by him.
He will always be remembered.