Prof. Kwadwo Osseo-Asare

Prof Kwadwo Osseo-Asare is Distinguished Professor of Materials Science and Engineering and of Energy and Geo-environmental Engineering in the Department of Materials Science and Engineering and the Department of Energy and Mineral Engineering at Penn State University, USA. He studied at Achimota School, and received his undergraduate and graduate degrees [BS (1970), MS (1972), PhD (1975)] in Materials Science and Engineering from the University of California (Berkeley). He worked briefly in industry before joining Penn State University in 1976. He was elected a member of the U. S. National Academy of Engineering in 2004 for contributions to the fundamental understanding of interfacial phenomena in dissolution and solvent extraction processes. He was editor-in-chief of Hydrometallurgy journal from 1998-2010.

Osseo-Asare’s research focuses on aqueous processing, especially hydrometallurgy, separation science, and materials synthesis and processing, with emphasis on thermodynamic modeling, electrochemistry, colloids, interfaces, and nanoscience. He has been recognized by several technical society and university awards for his research accomplishments, including the Wadsworth Award of SME (2004), Penn State University’s Faculty Scholar Medal for Outstanding Achievement in Engineering (1999), the James Douglas Gold Medal of AIME (1997), and the Wilson Award for Excellence in Research of the College of Earth and Mineral Sciences, Penn State (1995). Osseo-Asare served on the founding visiting faculty of the African University of Science and Technology, Abuja, Nigeria and is Adjunct Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at the Nelson Mandela African Institute of Science and Technology, Arusha, Tanzania. He has been a visiting professor or academic visitor at several other universities, including Kyushu University (Japan; 2014 -15), University of Ghana (2015, 2008), University of Mines and Technology, Tarkwa (2015, 2008), University of the Witwatersrand (S. Africa; 2010, 2012, 2014), Federal University of Minas Gerais (Brazil; 2007, 2015), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (USA; 2000), Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (1993), Tohoku University (Japan; 1993), and Imperial College (UK; 1985). His blog aqueousolutions (http://aqueousol.blogspot.com) focuses on science, technology, and sustainable development.