Young Woman Makes History As First Astrophysics PhD Graduate at University of Pretoria

• One young lady became the first to obtain a doctorate in Astrophysics from the University of Pretoria
• The woman shared why she pursued her studies in radio astronomy and spoke of it's unique perspective
• She will be joining the Department of Physics as a SARAO postdoctoral research fellow and spoke of her future plans
• Briefly News spoke to Dr Charissa Button about bagging her doctorate degree and her aspirations as you joined the Department of Physics as a SARAO postdoctoral research fellow

A graduate from the University of Pretoria made history as she was named the first person to obtain a PhD in Astrophysics.

Young lady becomes first to obtain PhD in astrophysics from UP

Dr Charissa Button was capped during her graduation ceremony when she received her doctorate degree in astrophysics from the University of Pretoria.

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The PhD holder said the following while speaking to Briefly News. She expressed her excitement about being the first to obtain a doctorate in Astrophysics.

"It is exciting to see UP growing in the field of astronomy, and I am honoured that my PhD can contribute to the growth of the research group at UP in this way. I think my PhD is just one indication of the growth of the astronomy research group at UP and demonstrates that UP is a good choice for post-graduate studies in astronomy, she said.

The unique perspective that radio astronomy offers on several fundamental physics topics, including the nature and implications of dark matter and the universe's expansion, initially piqued Dr Button's interest in pursuing postgraduate study in this field.

“During my studies in radio astronomy, I became interested in the vast array of physical processes that contribute to galaxy formation and evolution,” she explains.

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Dr Button shared what it was like while working under Professor Roger Deane while speaking to the publication, and she expressed that it was a "privilege as she had the "freedom to explore different tools and concepts that were related."

"Prof Deane has a wide knowledge and experience in various different branches within the field of radio astronomy and is always enthusiastic about astronomy research. Under his supervision, I had the freedom to explore different tools and concepts that were related to my research, while at the same time, Prof Deane helped me to keep my research on track, enabling me to finish my studies within three and a half years."

Professor Roger Deane, who holds the National Research Foundation SARChI SKA Chair in Radio Astronomy and the Department of Science and Innovation/National Research Foundation Extraordinary Professorship in Physics at UP, guided Dr Button through her degree completion.

"Dr Button’s PhD is an excellent example of how a bright young mind can use the power of smart algorithms and big data to make new important cosmic discoveries with next-generation telescopes like the Square Kilometre Array,” Prof Deane says.

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Dr Button is joining the Department of Physics as a SARAO postdoctoral research fellow. She plans to continue her research "using gravitational lensing to search for distant hydrogen sources and hydroxyl megamasers," she says.

She ended off by saying:

"I would also like to build on collaborations that were started during my PhD studies and am looking forward to the research possibilities that these collaborations could bring."

Meet the first black female PhD in applied data science at UJ

Briefly News previously reported that a young woman is changing the narrative after being named the black female recipient of PhD in Applied Data Science from the University of Johannesburg.

According to the University of Johannesburg News, a lady named Khensani Xivuri graduated from the institution in 2024 with flying colours. The woman obtained a PhD in Applied Data Science from the university.

Source: Briefly News