In Memory of Dr Karl Wilkinson

Karl came to UCT in 2008 joining Professor Kevin Naidoo’s group as a postdoc. He was the coding talent initiating a great project that announced UCT’s active participation in the field of Quantum Chemistry software development for next generation High Performance Computers. Karl was a specialist in writing complex quantum code for graphical processing units. Although he was English he immediately fell in love with South Africa, Cape Town and UCT.  Even after a return to the UK and two-year period as Postdoctoral Research fellow in Southampton, where he was a key driver in the development of HPC applications in chemistry in the UK, he wanted to return to UCT. In 2016, Karl was appointed as a Physical Chemistry Lecturer in the Department.

Sadly, Karl passed away in the early hours of Friday morning after surgery to remove a brain tumour.  His family had travelled from the UK to be with his wife, Amilinda Wilkinson, a staff member in the Land and Accountability Research Unit in the Faculty of Law. Our thoughts are with them.