Prof Ajay Kumar Mishra is a finalist in the 2015/2016 National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) awards in the category TW Kambule-NSTF Awards: Research and its outputs.

The award is for an outstanding contribution to science, engineering and technology (SET) and innovation by an individual over a period of up to 15 years after award of a PhD or equivalent, predominantly in South Africa.

The 2015/2016 National Science and Technology Forum (NSTF) awards in partnership with South 32 recognise outstanding contributions to SET and innovation for researchers and other SET professionals.

Earlier this year Mishra was awarded for excellence in research and innovation at the Research Awards ceremony. He is an NRF C2-rated researcher.

Currently in the Nanotechnology and Water Sustainability (NanoWS) Research Unit, College of Science, Engineering and Technology, and based at the Science Campus, Mishra is also an adjunct professor at Jiangsu University, China.

He obtained his PhD in Chemistry from the Department of Chemistry, University of Delhi, Delhi, India. In 2006, he moved to the University of the Free State for postdoctoral studies in the area of composites/nanocomposites.

In 2009, he joined Unisa in the Department of Applied Chemistry as a Senior Lecturer and was promoted to Associate Professor in 2011. Mishra is currently group leader in NanoWS of the research area for composites/nanocomposites, water research and bio-inorganic chemistry. He has hosted several visiting researchers/scientists/postdocs in his group.

Mishra has also developed a number of collaborations worldwide. His research contributions include many publications in international journals. He has delivered a number of plenary, keynote and invited lectures. Because of his outstanding research profile, he has received a number of awards, including a Global Achiever’s Conclave-Mahatma Gandhi Pravasi Samman Award at the House of Lords, UK, in 2014. Mishra has served as associate editor as well as a member of editorial boards of many international journals.

He has edited several books for renowned publishers. He has also written for a number of international journals and is a member of a number of scientific societies.

His research interests are in four broad areas, namely:

• Nanoscience/nanotechnology
• Materials science, polymers
• Composites/nanocomposites
• Water research

He is actively involved in the area of nanotechnology towards the development of smart materials for various applications in the fields of materials science and water research. He trains and supervises honours, master’s and doctoral students, as well as postdoctoral fellows under the following research themes:

• Synthesis of multifunctional nano-materials, nano-composites, biopolymer and/or petrochemical based biodegradable polymers and polymers based materials/composites for various applications, with special attention to drug delivery.
• Nanotechnology towards to the development of smart materials for various applications in the field of Materials Science/Polymer Science/Water Research/Bio-inorganic Chemistry.
• Organometallic Chemistry/Bio-inorganic Chemistry and Catalysis in the area of Inorganic Chemistry.
• Carbon nanotube and graphene based composite materials for technological applications.

*Compiled by Nkululeko Mpakama

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