รศ.ดร.นภาวรรณ นพรัตนราภรณ์ ได้รับปริญญาดุษฎีบัณฑิตกิตติมศักดิ์ (Honorary Doctoral Degree of Philosophy) จากอธิการบดีมหาวิทยาลัยยามากูชิ

Brief Introduction of Dr. Napavarn Noparatnaraporn
by Masaaki Oka, President of Yamaguchi University
at Yamaguchi University Honorary Degree Conferment Ceremony

Monday, November 14, 2016

It is now my great pleasure and honor to give a brief introduction of the road that has led Dr. Napavarn Noparatnaraporn to us today.

Dr. Napavarn graduated from Chulalongkorn University with a Bachelor’s degree in Biology in 1971. She received her Master’s degree in Microbiology from Kasetsart University in 1972 and Doctor of Engineering in Fermentation Technology from Hiroshima University, Japan, in 1987.

In 1974, Dr. Napavarn joined Kasetsart University as lecturer at the Department of Microbiology, Faculty of Science. She was promoted to Assistant Professor in 1982 and ten years later, to Associate Professor. During her time at Kasetsart, Dr. Napavarn also excelled at the Kasetsart University Research and Development Institute (KURDI), where she served as Director from 1994 to 2001 and as Acting Director for the following year. After leaving Kasetsart University in 2006, Dr. Napavarn joined the Agricultural Research and Development Agency (ARDA) and served as Executive Director until 2011 when she left the organization. She has been with the Biodiversity-Based Economy Development Office (BEDO) as an expert for Biodiversity since 2012. Further, Dr. Napavarn has been serving as the President of the Science Society of Thailand, under the Patronage of His Majesty the King since 2016.

Through her career, Dr. Napavarn has been pursuing fundamental and applied research on Photosynthetic Bacteria. In Thailand, she has achieved successful outcomes in the application of Photosynthetic Bacteria, developing research such as water clarification by using Photosynthetic Bacteria, and recycling of biomass, which is a by-product. Further, she discovered that Photosynthetic Bacteria increases egg-laying rates by activating fish sperms and ova. In Japan as well, the technology invented by Dr. Napavarn was applied to breeding eels in Shizuoka Prefecture and yellowtails and tiger puffers in Ehime Prefecture. Thailand is proud of its world-leading research on the application of Photosynthetic Bacteria to agriculture and fishing, and this achievement is thanks largely to her contribution.

Dr. Napavarn has truly been a treasure for Yamaguchi University as we built our relationship with Thailand. While she was with Kasetsart University, she served as a Thai coordinator of the JSPS-NRCT Core University Program on Microbial Resources between Yamaguchi University and Kasetsart University from 1998 to 2008. In this capacity, she worked on promoting exchange among researchers on microbiology from over 50 universities between Japan and Thailand in cooperation with Yamaguchi University. Above all, she played a leading role in facilitating the exchanges between our two universities. Dr. Napavarn is continuing to devote her energy to facilitate many projects including the MEXT-ARDA project, Asian Core Program, and Core to Core Program. We are very grateful for her many contributions and look forward to seeing her future accomplishments as she continues inspiring and guiding researchers.

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