Big wins at SAIP 2025 Annual Conference, Astrophysics Division for two phenomenal UJ PhD students!
A Huge congratulations to our incredible astrophysicists at CAPP at UJ,
at the SAIP 2025 Annual Conference
Tamador Aldooma received Best PhD Oral Presentation for her talk:
“Constraints on Cosmological Parameters Using a Large Sample of Gamma-Ray Bursts with Redshifts Derived by Machine Learning”
Thando Mothogoane (Kekana) was awarded Best PhD Poster Presentation for her poster:
“The Evolution of the Infrared–Radio Correlation with Redshift and Stellar Mass for Galaxies in the MIGHTEE-COSMOS Field”
These remarkable women are shining bright in astrophysics, and we couldn’t be prouder!
Honouring Excellence: Dimakatso Maheso Named Top Master’s Student in UJ Science Faculty
We are incredibly proud to celebrate one of our brightest stars, Dimakatso Maheso, who has been awarded the prestigious Dean of Science Award for being the Top Master’s Student in the Faculty of Science at the University of Johannesburg for the 2024 academic year!
Achieving an exceptional overall average of 90%, Dimakatso’s academic journey is a shining example of hard work, resilience, and brilliance. As a former member of the Centre for Astro-Particle Physics, she has not only contributed to cutting-edge research but has also been an inspiring presence within the UJ science community.
This award marks a major milestone in her academic career, and we have no doubt that it is only the beginning of many more achievements to come.
South African Institute of Physics conference 2024
PhD students Mfuphi Ntshatsha and Lutendo Nyadzani attended the annual South African Institute of Physics conference, between the 1st and 5th of July 2024. The conference was held at Rhodes University in the Eastern Cape as it celebrated its 120th anniversary. This year’s theme was “To the next 100, South Africa’s future in physics,” inspired great talks, presentations, and posters. Read more about the conference: https://saip2024.co.za/
Awards
Mr. Lutendo Nyadzani was awarded the ‘Best PhD Presentation in Astrophysics’ for the second year in a row.
SAIP 2023
Staff and students from the Department of Physics and the Centre for Astro-Particle Physics (CAPP) attended the ‘67th Annual Conference of the South African Institute of Physics‘ at the University of Zululand, Richards Bay Campus from July 3-7, 2023.
Contributed Talks:
- Prof. Soebur Razzaque: Possible origins of > 10 TeV photons detected from the burst of all time (BOAT) GRB 221009A
- Ms. Dimakatso Maheso: Pulse fitting and spectral analysis of Fermi -GBM short GRBs with known redshift and comparisons with magnetar giant flares
- Mr. Lutendo Nyadzani: ULXs as progenitors of merging compact binary systems
- Ms. Getrude Thando Mothogoane: Star-forming galaxies and radio-active galactic nuclei in the faint radio sky
Posters:
- Mr. Thabo Msiza: Fitting NOvA and T2K data with the revamped 𝐴4 symmetry model for the poorly constrained neutrino oscillation parameters
Awards:
- Mr. Lutendo Nyadzani: Best PhD Presentation in the Astrophysics Division (See his contributed talk here: ULXs as progenitors of merging compact binary systems)
Ms. Dimakatso Maheso: UJ Conference 2022 – 2nd Prize (Oral Presentation & People’s Choice Award)
Ms. Dimakatso Maheso, a master’s student under the supervision of Prof. Soebur Razzaque at the Centre of Astro-Particle Physics, has just been awarded the 2nd prize for her oral presentation for MSc in 4IR at the UJ Conference. Dimakatso was also awarded the People’s choice award. We would like to formally congratulate you on your awards and look forward to seeing what you accomplish next!
Ms. Tamador Aldowma: OWSD PhD Fellowship Award 2021
The OWSD-Elsevier Foundation Awards for Early Career Women Scientists honour and support women in poor countries who are in the early phases of their scientific careers and have faced significant obstacles to attain excellence in research. Ms. Tamador Aldowma, a new PhD student from Sudan, was awarded the prestigious OWSD PhD fellowship in 2021. Tamador is a lecturer at Omdurman Islamic University, Faculty of Science and Technology, Department Of Astronomy and Meteorology in Omdurman-Sudan.
Dr. Ushak Rahaman: Postdoctoral Fellows Research Excellence Awards 2021
The Postdoctoral Excellence Awards recognizes Postdoctoral Research Fellow’s who have distinguished themselves by their research outputs and academic citizenship at the University of Johannesburg. Dr. Ushak Rahaman was awarded the Postdoctoral Excellence Award in 2021 for his research in neutrino oscillation, CP violation in neutrino sector, neutrino mass and mixing models.
Ushak was awarded with a gift voucher in honour of his award, which he graciously donated to the centre. The centre was able to buy astronomy and physics books for the students to read.
