The Cosmic Savannah Ep. 72: Exploring New Horizons in Astronomy

Hosted by Dr. Jacinta Delhaize, Dr. Tshiamiso Makwela & Dr.
Daniel Cunnama.


From June 19, 2024.


Season 6.


In this episode of The Cosmic Savannah, our hosts chat with
Dr. Rojovola Zara-Nomena Randriamanakoto from
the South African Astronomical Observatory about her
transformative journey from Madagascar to becoming an
instrumental figure in astronomy, advocating for women in STEM,
and her research on star clusters and colliding galaxies.


 


Dr. Zara Randriamanakoto is an influential astronomer from
Madagascar working at the South African Astronomical Observatory.
She moved to South Africa in 2008, overcoming language barriers
and limited initial exposure to computers and programming. Her
journey into astronomy was driven by an opportunity linked to the
Square Kilometre Array project. Zara studies massive star
clusters, particularly in collisional ring galaxies, utilizing
data from the Hubble Space Telescope. She has played a pivotal
role in developing the astronomy community in Madagascar,
focusing on education, outreach, and increasing female
participation in STEM fields. Zara has received several
prestigious awards, including the L’Oreal UNESCO Young Talent
Program and the Mail and Guardian 200 Young South Africans. She
is committed to mentoring and inspiring the next generation of
scientists and is actively involved in promoting astronomy both
in Madagascar and South Africa.


 


Podcast Manager and Show Notes: Francois Campher


Social Media Manager: Sumari Hatting


Transcripts: Abigail Thambiran


Audio Editing: Jacob Fine


 


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