18/05/2026
Today was a momentous occasion at the NAS faculty graduations as we had the privilege of awarding an Honorary Doctorate to a true trailblazer in the world of chemistry, Professor Robert Graham Cooks. Growing up on the South Coast and attending Port Shepstone High School, Prof Cooks went on to become a global pioneer in the conception and implementation of tandem mass spectrometry. His revolutionary work spans from trace chemical detection and intraoperative tissue diagnostics to launching five successful start-up companies based on his 80+ patents. Beyond his staggering 108,000+ Google Scholar citations, his truest legacy might just be his dedication to education, having served as a major professor to 159 doctoral students, over 60 of whom now hold faculty positions worldwide. We were also fortunate to host Prof Cooks for an inspiring departmental seminar this past Friday, giving our students a unique, face-to-face opportunity to learn from a living legend. Please join us in celebrating and congratulating Dr. Cooks on this deeply deserved honor!
