Vice-Chancellor’s Distinguished Award – OUTSTANDING RESEARCHER OF THE YEAR
Faculty of Science – Department of Chemical Sciences
Prof Samuel Oluwatobi Oluwafemi is an NRF-rated full Professor in the Department of Chemical Sciences within the Faculty of Science. He is the leader of the Nanotechnology for Biological, Energy, and Water (CHEM-NANOBEW) Laboratory Research group, which currently comprises 10 researchers, 3 Postdoctoral Research Fellows, and 20 postgraduate students at Honours, Master’s and Doctoral levels. His research involves the synthesis and application of nanomaterials, especially Quantum Dots (QDs) of different forms, and addresses eight (8) of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) for societal impact. He has published over 200 papers in leading international journals in his field, 20 book chapters, 13 books, and has filed 4 patents. Prof Oluwafemi’s groundbreaking and impactful publications include a book titled Ternary Quantum Dots: Synthesis, Characterisation, and Applications, which demonstrated synthetic routes for Quantum Dots and their different applications in making the world a better place.
Further impact of his work is reflected by a Google Scholar h-index of 36, with more than 4890 citations received to date. Since 2011, Prof Oluwafemi has attracted over R35 million in research grants, received from local funding bodies such as the National Research Foundation (NRF), Water Research Commission (WRC), and ESKOM, as well as international funders such as the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science (JSPS) and the São Paulo Research Foundation, with over R6 million received in 2023 alone. He has also received the CV Raman Fellowship. Because of his outstanding grantsmanship, Prof Oluwafemi serves on funding review panels and continues to provide guidance to emerging and early-career researchers on drafting funding proposals. Over the past five years, he has graduated 9 PhDs (6 in 2023) and 9 master’s students. He has received numerous accolades for research excellence from national and international bodies, including the National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF), where he was a finalist in the established researcher category, the Erudite Visiting Professorship by the Higher Education Council of Kerala, and Tohoku University special measure for outstanding researchers.
Within UJ, he has received the award for the Most Productive Researcher in the Faculty of Science for three consecutive years (1999-2021). According to the February 2023 edition of the World Scientist and University Rankings, Prof Oluwafemi was ranked #1 in South Africa and in Africa under the Nanoscience and Nanotechnology category as well as the Engineering and Technology category. He has collaborated with researchers on five continents, including Asia, Africa, Europe, South America and North America and has fostered the establishment of Memorandum of Understandings (MoUs) with many institutions of high reputation and world ranking. He is a member of several reputable professional bodies and serves as a reviewer for internationally recognised journals with high impact factors.
