“One of the many implications of such a prestigious announcement is that I will have the privilege of being the Chairperson of the dynamic association in the coming year,” says Dr Verryn. It is worth mentioning that Dr Verryn has been responsible for the X-Ray Powder Diffraction Unit since 1986 and is the author and co-author of over 20 publications in refereed journals. Apart from such prestigious strides ahead, she has presented/co-presented over 25 papers at international conferences. Dr Verryn has filled several chasms through her wide spectrum of scientific publications which range from geochemical to mineralogical to analytical topics.

In July 2008 Dr Verryn attended the Goldschmidt Conference in Vancouver, Canada, where, apart from presenting a paper, she attended the Business Meetings of the International Mineralogical Association (IMA) as a representative of MINSA to propose holding the four-yearly IMA conference in South Africa in 2014. This proposal was positively received – the meeting will take place in South Africa, with significant UP participation.