Prof Marietjie Potgieter Marietjie Potgieter is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Chemistry, University of Pretoria (UP), where she was permanently employed between May 2002 and June 2021. Her formal education is in bio-organic chemistry (PhD from University of Illinois, USA), but she changed her research specialisation to tertiary chemistry education when she joined UP. Her research focusses on effective instruction and student success in tertiary science. Recent research projects include an investigation of student preferences and engagement patterns in blended learning organic chemistry courses and the introduction of systems thinking in undergraduate chemistry. She has published extensively on student preparedness for first-year chemistry, prediction of students at risk of failing first-year chemistry, academic development programmes for students from disadvantaged backgrounds, and effectiveness of innovative teaching approaches for first-year science courses. She is a recipient of several national and international awards for teaching and research excellence. She served as Deputy Dean: Teaching and Learning in the Faculty of Natural and Agricultural Sciences (2013 – 2020) and as Acting Head of the chemistry department in 2021. She represents South Africa on the IUPAC Committee on Chemistry Education (2016 to date) and is the current chair of this committee (January 2022 to date). She is also the IUPAC observer on the Advisory Board for Education and Outreach of the Organisation for Prevention of Chemical Weapons (OPCW).
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