Prof Grace Ofori-Sarpong Akuffo

Prof Grace Ofori-Sarpong Akuffo

Grace Ofori-Sarpong Akuffo is a Professor of Minerals Engineering, and currently the Dean of School of Postgraduate Studies at the University of Mines and Technology (UMaT), Tarkwa, Ghana. Her previous positions held in UMaT include Acting Pro Vice Chancellor, Dean of Faculty of Mineral Resources Technology, Vice Dean of Planning and Quality Assurance Unit, Head of Petroleum Engineering Department, Head of Environmental and Safety Engineering Department, and Coordinator of University Examinations. Grace serves as a member on several national boards/councils including the Governing Boards of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, Minerals Income Investment Fund (MIIF) and Ghana Chamber of Mines (GCM) Tertiary Education Fund, the International Advisory Board of African Centre for Mineral Exploration and Development (ACMED) and the Amira Research Consortium. In addition, she
serves/has served on the Governing Boards of Academic City College and University of Mines and Technology, and numerous national and international committees including the Ministerial Committee of Enquiry on Health and Safety in the Mining Industry, the Publication Committee of Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences, the Technical Committees of MIIF Board and GCM Council, the Committee of Independent Reviewers for International PhD Scholarship, Review Committees of OWSD Early Career Fellowship, Association of African University Training Grant and as Associate Editor of the Journal of Sustainable Metallurgy. She has also served as organiser, keynote speaker, resource person and moderator for several conferences, workshops and seminars both locally and internationally.

Grace is actively involved in research and consultancy in the areas of precious minerals beneficiation, comminution characteristics, aqueous processing, refractory ore treatment, mine waste treatment, acid mine drainage issues, and myco-hydrometallurgy, among others, and she
has about 100 technical publications to her credit. With about 20 years’ experience in lecturing and research in minerals-related issues and community service, Grace has made a lot of strides including receiving an international award in 2017 from OWSD-Elsevier Foundation for her contribution in science and her positive role in inspiring and mentoring females to reduce the gender gap in STEM. Grace is the Founder and President of Ladies in Mining and Allied Professions in Ghana (LiMAP-Gh), a Fellow of the Ghana Academy of Arts and Sciences (GAAS), and West African Institute of Mining, Metallurgy and Petroleum (WAIMM). She is also a member of the Society for Mining, Metallurgy and Exploration Engineers (SME), International Association of Engineers, Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) and Women in
Mining, Ghana.

Grace holds PhD in Energy and Mineral Engineering from the Pennsylvania State University, USA, MSc in Environmental Resources Management and BSc in Metallurgical Engineering, both from the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology, Kumasi, Ghana.