Laurence Lavelle was born in Dublin, Ireland and went to St.David’s in Johannesburg and Bishops in Cape Town, South Africa. At the University of Cape Town (UCT) he completed his B.Sc. (Chemistry major, and Microbiology and Physical Oceanography minors), B.Sc. (Honors, Chemistry), and M.Sc. (Distinction, Physical Chemistry). While at UCT he was also a research assistant, teaching assistant, and a tutor. After graduating from UCT he accepted a faculty position in the Chemistry Dept.

