The Inaugural Ferrier Lecture
The Ferrier Lectureship has been established in honour of Emeritus Professor Robert (Robin) J. Ferrier, an academic at Victoria University’s Department of Chemistry from 1971 to 1997. Robin is one of New Zealand’s most eminent chemists and a leader in the field of carbohydrate chemistry.
The Inaugural Ferrier Lecture was initiated by Dr Peppi Prasit, a former PhD student of Robin’s and founder of the highly successful pharmaceutical firms Inception Sciences and Amira Pharmaceuticals. The Ferrier Lectureship, which tours several New Zealand centres and is intended to inspire the next generation of scientists, has been generously supported, via the Victoria University Foundation, from Dr Peppi Prasit, Callaghan Innovation, Victoria University and the New Zealand Institute of Chemistry.
The inaugural Ferrier Lecture was given by Professor Vern Schramm of Albert Einstein College of Medicine, New York, to an enthralled audience in the Hunter Council Chamber.
As well as providing an elegant and engrossing lecture, Professor Schramm met with several research groups at VUW, where he interacted with post-graduate students and staff. His good humour and friendly manner were appreciated as he inspired the next generations of scientists to strive for the high levels of excellence that both he and Professor Ferrier have achieved in their careers.