Senior Professor Leslie Petrik (PhD) is a leading and well-established expert in the field of environmental remediation, water treatment and beneficiation of industrial wastes. Petrik has independently developed the Environmental and Nano Sciences (ENS) research group, in the Department of Chemistry at the University of the Western Cape since 2003. The ENS group explores a broad suite of material science topics including nano-materials for applications in environmental remediation, water and industrial issues including waste reuse. For the past 15 years another strong research focus has been water chemistry and environmental remediation including treatment of industrial effluents such as brine and acid mine drainage, removal of organics and inorganics from water, water disinfection, detection and quantification of organic pollutants, as well as decomposition of persistent organic pollutants in wastewater using advanced oxidation processes. Overall, in the period 2003-2020 Petrik has supervised to completion and graduated 26 PhD and 56 MSc students. Her publications include 3 granted patents; 10 book chapters; 167 journal publications; 308 conference presentations. Petrik was the winner of the prestigious 2017/2018 National Science and Technology Forum NSTF-South32 Water Research Commission Award for an outstanding contribution to science, engineering, technology (SET) and innovation. In 2017/2018 Petrik was also selected as NSTF finalist in two other categories: NSTF-Engineering Research Capacity Development Award; NSTF-GreenMatter Award. In 2016 she was awarded the Business Women of the Year Award in the Science and Technology Category and in 2015 was the winner of the Water Research Commission Awards category: Transformation and Redress. In 2013 she was awarded the UWC VICE CHANCELLOR'S annual distinguished researcher award, in the Natural and Medical Sciences and in 2012 was awarded the Distinguished Women Scientist Award in 2012 by the Department of Science And Technology.
