Palesa ‘Mathese Getrude Phooko

Lesotho

Mrs Palesa Phooko started her research career with the synthesis and characterization of Polyaniline using porphyrin complexes as catalysts, as part of her M.Sc. thesis. After obtaining M.Sc from National University of Lesotho, she joined NUL as a lecturer in physical chemistry and spectroscopy. She is currently holding this position. In addition to teaching and researching, she is a treasurer for Women in Science Lesotho an organisation that is committed to encouraging girls to pursue STEM careers in Lesotho. She has supervised undergraduate projects. Mrs Phooko has been a visiting scholar at University of Pennsylvania, USA. Her research interests include theoretical chemistry, synthesis and characterization of macromolecules for application as catalysts and sensors. She is the current Next Einstein Forum Ambassador.