PhD graduates (1972 - present)
Dr Kelebogile Gasealahwe -2025
Thesis Tittle : Neutron star X-ray binaries with MeerKAT
Current position : Postdoctoral Fellow at UCT
Dr Petro Janse Van Rensburg -2025
Thesis Tittle : Studying gas flows in the SUNBIRD starburst galaxies and LIRGs
Current position :
Dr Simon de Wet - 2024
Thesis title : Gamma-ray bursts with MeerLICHT
Current position : Postdoctoral fellow, Copenhagen, Denmark
Dr Mokhine Motsoaledi -2024
Thesis title : Accretion processes in cataclysmic variable stars: insights from optical transient surveys
Current position : Postdoctoral fellow
Dr Sambatriniaina Rajohnson -2024
Thesis title : Exploring the evolution and hidden large-scale structures of galaxies with MeerKAT HI surveys
Current position : Postdoctoral fellow
Dr Nikki Peceur - 2024
Thesis: The optical polarization variability of the blazar PKS 2155–304
Current Position: Senior Quality Engineer at Confluence
Dr Alex Sivitilli - 2023
Thesis: Characterizing the digital planetarium as a teaching and learning space
Current Position: Postdoctoral fellow at IDIA
Dr Michael Hlabate - 2023
Thesis: Reverberation mapping of active galactic nuclei
Current Position: Data scientist at +OneX
Dr Antoine Mahoro - 2023
Thesis: Outflows from Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) and star-forming galaxies
Current position: Postdoc fellow at SAAO
Dr Narges Hatamkhani - 2022
Thesis: Deep NIR imaging of galaxy clusters in the Vela supercluster
Current position: Postdoctoral fellow at SAAO
Dr Tshiamiso Makwela - 2022
Thesis: Probing student engagement with size and distance in introductory astronomy
Current position: Fellow at the Office of Astronomy for Education (D), and postdoctoral fellow at UCT
Dr Zwido Khangale - 2022
Thesis: Accretion processes in magnetic Cataclysmic Variables - a detailed study of UZ Fornacis
Current position: SARAO Postdoctoral Fellow at UCT
Dr Jamie Bok - 2021
Thesis: Probing the role of environment and HI content in galaxy evolution: a multi-wavelength study of isolated and paired galaxies
Current position:
Dr Julia Healy - 2021
Thesis: Insights from spectral stacking on the HI content of cluster galaxies in various environments: a tale of two clusters
Current position: Postdoctoral fellow at ASTRON (NL)
Dr Miriam Nyamai - 2021
Thesis: Radio observations as a tool to study shock interactions and mass ejections in novae
Current position: Commissioning scientist at SARAO
Dr Zolile Mguda - 2021
Thesis: Bent tail radio sources as tracers of galaxy clusters at high redshift and SMBH mass estimates
Current position: Lecturer, UNISA
Dr Emmanuel Ocran - 2020
Thesis: The faint low-frequency radio universe in continuum: exploitation of the pre-SKA deepest survey
Current position: Postdoctoral research fellow, Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute
Dr Amidou Sorgho - 2019
Thesis: Deep HI Observations of Nearby Late-type Galaxies.
Current position: Research Fellow, IAU OAD
Dr Sam Legodi - 2019
Current position: SARAO Astronomer, SARAO, Cape Town
Dr Brenda Namumba - 2019
Thesis: HI Survey of Local Group Dwarf Galaxies
Current position: SARAO Astronomer, SARAO, Cape Town
Dr Marie Korsaga - 2019 [joint degree UCT/Marseille]
Thesis: Distribution of Baryonic and Dark Matter in Sprial and Irregular Nearby Galaxies
Current position: Research Fellow, IAU OAD
Dr Elizabeth Naluminsa - 2019
Thesis: Star Formation and Disk Stability in Nearby Galaxies
Current position: Lecturer, Kyambogo University, Kampala, Uganda
Dr Kerry Paterson - 2019
Thesis: Detecting Optical Transients and Variables with MeerLICHT
Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Northwestern University, Chicago, USA
Dr Itumeleng Monageng - 2018
Thesis: Optical and Gamma-ray Study of Gamma-ray Binaries
Current position: Lecturer UCT, Joint UCT/SAAO staff member, UCT/SAAO, Cape Town
Dr Elias Aydi - 2018
Thesis: Multiwavelength Studies of Classical Novae
Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Michigan State University, USA
Dr Rajin Ramphul - 2018
Current position: Data Scientist, Cortex Logic, Cape Town, RSA
Dr Preshanth Jagannathan - 2018
Thesis: Full Mueller Imaging - Direction Dependent Corrections in Polarimetric Radio Imaging
Current position: Assistant Scientist, NRAO, Socorro, USA
Dr Mpati Ramatsoku - 2017 [joint degree UCT/Groningen]
Thesis: A Westerbork Blind HI Imaging Survey of the Perseus-Pisces Filament in the Zone of Avoidance
Current position: Senior Lecturer, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
Dr Iniyan Natarajan - 2017
Thesis: Probabilistic Methods for Radio Interferometry Data Analysis
Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Rhodes University / SARAO, South Africa
Dr Enrico Kotze - 2017
Thesis: Transforming Doppler Tomography to Unravel the Accretion Dynamics in Cataclysmic Variables
Current position: SALT Astronomer, SAAO, Cape Town
Dr Khaled Said - 2017
Thesis: Peculiar Flow Fields in the Zone of Avoidance from the Near Infrared Tully-Fisher Relation
Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow ICRAR, Perth, Australia
Dr Toky Randriamampandry - 2017
Thesis: Correcting the rotation curve of spiral galaxies for the non-circular motions induced by a bar
Current position:
Dr Laure Catala - 2017
Current position: Adaptive Optics Science Fellow, Gemini North, USA
Dr Moses Mogotsi - 2016
Thesis: The Star Formation and Dynamics of Nearby Galaxies
Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow SAAO, South Africa
Dr Zara Randriamanakoto - 2015
Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow SAAO, South Africa
Dr Tom Mutabazi - 2015
Thesis: The distance to the Norma cluster and its relation to the Great Attractor
Current position: Lecturer (Physics), Mbarara University of Science and Technology, Uganda
Dr Rudi Kuhn - 2014
Current position: SALT Astronomer
Dr Paul Kotze - 2014
Current position: Director of Data and Analytics, Deimos, Cape Town, RSA
Dr Viral Parekh - 2014
Thesis: Morphological Classification and Dynamics of X-ray Galaxy Clusters
Current position: SKA Postdoctoral Fellow, Rhodes University, South Africa
Dr Roger Ianjamasimanana - 2014
Thesis: Interstellar Medium Properties and Star Formation in Nearby Galaxies
Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow, Rhodes University, Grahamstown, RSA
Dr Bradley Frank - 2013
Thesis: The Dynamics of Molecular Gas in Nearby Galaxies
Current position: Astronomer, Senior Developer, SARAO, Cape Town
Dr Andry Rajoelimanana - 2013
Thesis: Long-term Properties of X-ray Binaries in the Magellanic Clouds
Current position: Postdoctoral Fellow (Physics), University of the Free State
Dr Marissa Kotze - 2012
Thesis: Exploring the Super-orbital Periodic Behaviour of X-ray Binaries
Current position: SALT Astronomer
Dr Abiy Tekola - 2011
Current position: Boeing US
Dr Mellony Spark - 2011
Thesis: Exploring the Application of New Telescope Techniques in the Testing of Dwarf Novae Accretion Models
Current position: Investment Analyst, Matrix Fund Managers, Cape Town, RSA
Dr Ed Elson - 2010
Current position: Lecturer (Physics and Astronomy), University of the Western Cape, South Africa
Dr Ihab Riad - 2010
Thesis: A Deep Near Infrared Survey Along the Norma Wall
Current position: Lecturer (Physics), University of Khartoum, Sudan
Dr Bonita de Swardt - 2009
Thesis: The Structure, Stellar Content and Dynamics of Dwarf Galaxies in the Local Volume
Current position: Program Manager: Strategic Partnerships for Human Capacity Development, SARAO, Cape Town
Dr Michelle Cluver - 2009
Thesis: The Nature and Nurture of a Starburst Supermassive HI Galaxy: HIZOA J0836-43
Current position: ARC Future Fellow, Swinburne University, Melbourne, Australia
Dr Claire Blackman - 2008
Thesis: The Hunt for Quasi-periodicities with Wavelet and Camera
Current position: Lecturer (Mathematics and Applied Mathematics), University of Cape Town
Dr Motee Phorah - 2008
Thesis: The Effect of Radiation and Convection on Stellar Oscillations
Current position: Lecturer (Physics), Central University of Technology Pretoria
Dr Nceba Mhlahlo - 2007
Thesis: The Study of the Accretion Dynamics and Dynamics in Intermediate Polars
Current position: Lecturer (Physics), University of Witwatersrand
Dr Pierre Vermaak - 2007
Thesis: Fitting Binary Lens Gravitational Microlensing Events with Example-based Algorithms
Current position: MD, Head of Data Forum, UBS, London, UK
Dr Lisa Crause - 2006
Current position: Staff astronomer, South African Astronomical Observatory
Prof Thebe Medupe - 2002
Thesis: Studies of Non-adiabatic Pulsations in The Atmospheres of the RoAp Stars
Current position: Deputy-Dean of Science, Northwest University, Mafikeng
Dr Francois Vuille - 1999
Thesis: Nonlinear Behaviour of Pulsating White Dwarfs
Current position: Director of Energy Department at Etat de Vaud, Lausanne, Switzerland
Prof Patrick Woudt - 1998
Thesis: Large Scale Structures behind the Southern Milky Way
Current position: Head of Department (Astronomy), University of Cape Town
Dr An-Lee Chen - 1994
Thesis: A Survey of Cataclysmic Variables from the Edinburgh-Cape Blue Object Survey
Current position: Head of Taipei Planetarium, Taiwan
Prof Chris Engelbrecht - 1994
Thesis: An Analysis of Beta Cephei Stars in NGC 3292 and the Effects of Stellar Rotation
Current position: Associate Professor (Physics), University of Johannesburg
Prof Peter Martinez - 1993
Thesis: The Cape Rapidly Oscillating Ap Star Survey
Current position: Professor (Electrical Engineering), University of Cape Town
Prof Derck Smits - 1990
Thesis: Atomic Processes in Nova Shells
Current position: Professor (Mathematical Sciences), University of South Africa
Prof Hartmut Winkler - 1990
Thesis: The measurement and analysis of flux variations in Seyfert galaxy nuclei
Current position: Professor (Physics), University of Johannesburg
Prof Mark Cropper - 1985
Thesis: Polarimetry of Magnetic Cataclysmic Variables
Current position: Professor (Astrophysics), University College London, UK
Dr Robin Catchpole - 1982
Thesis: The Properties of the SC Stars and Chemical Composition of UY Centauri
Current position: Astronomer (retired), Institute of Astronomy, Cambridge
Dr Darragh O'Donoghue - 1981
Thesis: Topics in White Dwarfs
Deceased 2015 [obituary]
Dr W Martin - 1980
Deceased
Prof David Block - 1980
Thesis: The Morphology and Absolute Diameters of Galaxies
Current position: Professor (Computer Science and Applied Mathematics), University of Witwatersrand
Prof Chris Koen - 1979
Thesis: Magnetohydrodynamical phenomena in gaseous disks
Current position: Professor (Statistics), University of the Western Cape
Dr Alistair Walker - 1976
Current position: Astronomer, Cerro Tololo Inter-American Observatory (CTIO), Chile
Dr Tim Hawarden - 1975
Thesis: Old Southern Open Clusters
Deceased 2009 [obituary]
Prof Ed Nather - 1972
Deceased 2014 [biography]
[Last updated: 25 December 2022]