Thanks to FOMO (the “fear of missing out”) Kudzai Chiodza, current chairperson of the Postgraduate Student Council, skipped out on studying biochemistry to study chemical engineering instead. We chat to Kudzai about his passion for impactful research, his top tips for future students, and his go-to chemical engineering jokes.
How FOMO led to a passion for chemical engineering
“My best friend from high school applied to study chemical engineering, but at the time I had no clue what the programme was about,” explains the Zimbabwean local. “Because of FOMO, I decided to apply. It was one of the best decisions of my life.”
Today, Kudzai is a hard-working PhD candidate in the department, doing research under the supervision of Prof Neill Goosen. He has a keen interest in solving problems that have an impact on people’s lives — whether directly or indirectly. “I want to be remembered for improving people’s lives through my research.”
His research topic is: The effect or mixing regime and substrate concentration on enzyme hydrolysis of fish procession by-products.
Make time for work and play
For aspiring chemical engineering students, Kudzai has the following advice: ” Come prepared to do two things: work and play. How you do them is entirely up to you. In my opinion, working smart, with a little bit of hard work, will get you the best results.”
Knock-knock: chemical engineering jokes to add to your arsenal
Of course, we simply had to ask Kudzai what his favourite chemical engineering joke is, and he did not disappoint: “If you are not part of the solution, you are part of the precipitate,” and “Ah! (the element of surprise).”
