Page 30 - Science in Africa

rofessor Grace Ofori-Sarpong is Professor Grace Ofori-Sarpong
an associate professor of
minerals (metallurgical)
engineering, working with the
University of Mines and
PTechnology in Tarkwa, Ghana.
She is the first woman to rise through the
academic ranks to the position of associate
professor in the field of mining,
metallurgical, materials and minerals
engineering in Ghana.
She got her bachelor’s and
master’s degrees from the
Kwame Nkrumah University of
Science and Technology,
Kumasi, Ghana, and her PhD
from the Pennsylvania State
University in the US.
Her research interests include
mycohydrometallurgy,
environmental biotechnology,
beneficiation of precious metals, acid
mine drainage mapping, safe practices in
artisanal and small-scale gold
mining/processing and microwave technology.
She is a reviewer of several international
journals in her field, and a member of many
professional bodies, including the Society for
Mining, Metallurgical and Exploration
Engineers and Society of Petroleum
Engineering.
She has more than 45 technical papers to
her credit and several unpublished reports.
She has held numerous positions at her
university, and is currently the head of the
petroleum engineering department and the
vice-dean of the planning and quality-
assurance unit. She has also served as a
visiting professor at other universities in
Ghana such as Kwame Nkrumah University
of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana,
and Africa, such as the African University of
Science and Technology, Abuja, Nigeria.
Areas of expertise: Mycohydrometallurgy
(fungi-mediated gold extraction), beneficiation
of precious metals, acid mine drainage
women who is making an impact in the Minding the
mapping and safe practices in artisanal and
small-scale gold mining.
Professor Ofori-Sarpong is one of the few
predominantly male-oriented minerals and
mining engineering field in Ghana and also
in the west African subregion.
Through hard work and creativity, she has gender gap
utilised fungi in the extraction of gold
(mycohydrometallurgy) and her research
reported, for the first time, the use of fungi
in the degradation of nonorganic sulphide
minerals encountered in refractory gold ores. She is the founder of Ladies in Mining and women aimed at boosting girl-child education
She is part of a research team that has Allied Professions (LiMAP) in Ghana, an and an interest in science and engineering.
developed a lantern retort to distill mercury association that mentors and motivates Her contribution to science has been
from gold amalgam in artisanal and small- young women to love and study science and recognised beyond the shores of Ghana and
scale mining so as to reduce unsafe handling mathematics so as to reduce the gender gap she was selected as one of the five female
of mercury and to protect the environment in science, technology, engineering and recipients of the 2017 OWSD-Elsevier
and life from mercury poisoning. mathematics. Foundation Award for Early-Career Women
She is also part of a team that is adopting LiMAP is instituting scholarship schemes Scientists in the Developing World for
acid-base accounting to predict acid mine for girls from less-endowed junior high outstanding research in engineering,
drainage (AMD) potential in sulphide-prone schools in the Tarkwa municipality. innovation and technology and for serving as
mining areas in Ghana so as to put in She has been a role model at several an inspiring role model to future generations
proactive measures of dealing with AMD. science and mathematics clinics for young of women science leaders.
30 SCIENCE IN AFRICA