Prof Cyril O'Connor is a chemical engineer with a PhD from the University of Cape Town and a Senior Doctorate (DEng) in Metallurgical Engineering from Stellenbosch University. He is a registered professional engineer with the Engineering Council of South Africa. He is the founder Director of the Centre for Minerals Research and of the Centre for Catalysis Research both of which are in the Department of Chemical Engineering at the University of Cape Town. He has been the President of the International Mineral Processing Council since 2006, held the Anglo American Platinum Chair in Minerals Processing from 2008-2012, was Vice-President of the International Zeolite Association, is a member of the Executive of the Academy of Engineering of South Africa, and is CEO of the South African Minerals to Metals Research Institute. He has served from time to time on international scientific committees and review panels and has chaired the Organizing Committees of many major international conferences. He recently chaired a study by the Academy of Science of South Africa and South African Academy of Engineering on South Africa’s technical readiness to support a shale gas industry. He has published over 250 papers in international journals and international refereed conference proceedings, has supervised more than 70 PhD and MSc graduates and at his retirement was a National Research Foundation A-rated researcher. He is a Hon. Fellow of the South African Institute of Mining and Metallurgy, a Fellow of, respectively, the Royal Society of South Africa, the University of Cape Town, the South African Academy of Engineering, the South African Institution of Chemical Engineering, IUPAC, is a founder member of the Academy of Science of South Africa and is an International Member of the United States National Academy of Engineering.
