Durban University of Technology’s (DUT’s) Chemical Engineering Doctoral student, Dr Emmanuel Kweinor Tetteh is the first Doctoral graduate to submit his thesis by publication route in the Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment.
Dr Tetteh graduated with his Doctor of Philosophy degree in Chemical Engineering at the 2022 Durban University of Technology (DUT) Spring Graduation. The prestigious ceremony was held at the Durban Exhibition Centre on Thursday, 29 September 2022.
“I experienced a sense of relief and satisfaction knowing that I had achieved a goal I had set for myself early in life, this offers me a wing to fly high in my next adventure globally. In addition, I felt proud of myself that I made my parents, family friends, church, colleagues, mentors and supervisors honoured as they told me. Thanks to them all for their positive energy towards this successful journey,” he commented happily.
The title of his dissertation is: “Wastewater treatment and photo-reduction of CO2 using an integrated magnetized TiO2 anaerobic- photocatalytic system”.
He relayed that this thesis was submitted via publication route with 20 peer reviewed journal papers, six book chapters and 10 presented local and international conference proceedings.
Dr Tetteh said that this project was carried out under the conjunction of DUT’s Green Engineering Research Group, under the Department of Chemical Engineering and the Water Research Commission (WRC), South Africa.
From his exciting research, the technological and scientific exploration of this research findings for industrial adoption will assist in national/regional action plans and policies by the relevant decision-making stakeholders in the water sector to add value to the wastewater treatment economy.
“As the proof of concept has resulted in Water Research Commission project (WRC2021/2022-00958) to develop smart integrated anaerobic-photocatalytic pilot plant for the valorisation of wastewater into bioenergy, with additional benefits to improve wastewater for reuse, reduce toxicological effect of trace elements and to recover nanomaterials for reuse,” he said.
Going forward, he wants to continue doing something enjoyable and passionate driven as a young researcher and is open for Research Fellowship and collaboration in developing cutting edge technologies (smart integrated wastewater system) in the water-energy nexus fields.
Dr Kweinor Tetteh, expressed his heartfelt gratitude to his able supervisor Prof Rathilal and his father in the Lord Pastor Obed Obeng-Addae (DApol, Ph.D., CCI) for their fatherliness, mentorship, guidance, and profound directions in my life.
“Also, to Prof Raul Munoz, Prof Dr Dennis Isaac Amoah, Dr Martha Chollom and the Green Engineering Research, thank you for your support and encouragement,” he said.
Prof Sudesh Rathilal, Deputy Dean: Faculty of Engineering and the Built Environment shared his heartfelt congratulations to Dr Emmanuel Kweinor Tetteh, saying: “Congratulations to Dr Kweinor Tetteh on this well-deserved achievement. I am proud that we have been working alongside over the past years in some cutting-edge research. He is an exceptional researcher, and his work is second to none. His publication record is the best I have seen from any PGs across the country, and he has been the first to win many awards from DUT, nationally and internationally. With 20 publications from his doctoral study, he is also the first in the faculty to submit his thesis via the publication route which will soon become the standard for the faculty and institution. All the best Emmanuel,” he said.
Pictured: Dr Emmanuel Kweinor Tetteh
Waheeda Peters
