Portfolio of Dr Willie van Niekerk

Name & initials
Dr Willie (WCA) van Niekerk

Qualifications

• BSc, University of Potchefstroom (South Africa), 1966
• BSc Hons, University of Potchefstroom (South Africa), 1967
• MSc, University of Potchefstroom (South Africa), 1968
• PhD, University of South Africa, 1974
• Qualified Environmental Professional (Environmental Toxicology QEP), certified by the Institute of Professional Environmental Practice (IPEP), 1996

Career History

• Soil and Irrigation Research Institute, 1968 to 1971
• Atomic Energy Board, 1971 to 1982
• SMM Instruments, 1982 to 1984
• Atomic Energy Corporation, 1984 to August 1997
• INFOTOX, 1995 to 1997 (Consulting Scientist)
• INFOTOX, August 1997 onwards (Managing Director)

International Experience

• Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, 1980: Visiting scientist, participated in Love Canal environmental pollution studies
• Visited research institutes and other organisations in the USA, England, Belgium, The Netherlands, Germany, Switzerland and Italy. Visits relating specifically to environmental sciences and technologies:
  • United Nations, Geneva, Switzerland, 1991
  • RIVM, The Netherlands, 1991
  • Severn Trent Water, UK, 1991
  • Battelle, Columbus, Ohio, USA,1993
  • University of Illinois at Chicago, USA, 1993, 1996
  • USA Geological Survey, Virginia, USA, 1993
  • Triangle Laboratories, North Carolina, USA, 1993
  • USEPA, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, 1996, 1997, 2003
  • TERA, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, 1996, 1997, 2003
  • Horiba, Frankfurt, Germany, 2002
  • Rupprecht & Patashnick, Albany, New York, USA, 2002
  • Health and Safety Executive, UK, 2002
  • NIOSH, Centres for Disease Control, Cincinnati, Ohio, USA, 2003
  • Mine Health and Safety Association, Washington DC, USA, 2003
• Specialist consultation work on health risk assessment in Cameroon, Jamaica, Namibia and Zambia

Academic involvement

• Part-time Professor in Chemistry, teaching on the chemistry and toxicology of hazardous waste, Vista University, 1997 to 1997
• Co-promotor for post-graduate students
• External examiner for post-graduate theses

Professional Registrations

• Institute of Professional Environmental Practice (USA), Qualified Environmental Professional (QEP)
• South African Council for Natural Scientific Professions (SACNASP)