Thebe Medupe

Thebe Medupe is a professor of astronomy and the deputy dean for community engagement at the Department of Natural and Agricultural Sciences at North-West University, South Africa. He is deeply committed to building a pipeline for other black South Africans to enter astronomy in post-apartheid South Africa. He is a steering committee member and helped establish the National Astrophysics and Space Science Programme, which is a multi-institutional initiative that aims to train South African students in astrophysics and space science at honors and master’s levels and provide a path to Ph.D. studies in these and related research areas. Medupe is also the current president of the African Astronomical Society and has been involved in the National Research Foundation Astronomy Advisory Council and other panels.