Who is inspiring us...          

Albert Einstein once said: “I have no particular talent. I am merely inquisitive.” It was a natural interest in science plus parents who, as teachers, instilled in him the value of a good education, that Dr Lerothodi Leeuw attributes to his remarkable international career. 

From milking cows in rural South Africa to collaborating with leading scientific institutions of the world, this astrophysicist has garnered a noteworthy list of academic and professional accomplishments that today has him researching the origin and prevalence of life in the universe.

A scholarship to the famous Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in America followed by a post-doctoral fellowship in Space Science and Astrophysics at NASA Ames Research Center in Silicon Valley refined his special focus on the evolution of old galaxies.

We asked Dr Leeuw to share experiences and perspectives from his fascinating career.

Today Dr Leeuw is a member of the University of Johannesburg Physics Department as well as a scientist with the California based SETI Institute (Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence). The mission of the SETI Institute is to explore, understand and explain the origin, nature and prevalence of life in the universe.

His current project with SETI garnered international press interest in 2010 for new discoveries. He uses optical, infrared, and radio data from telescopes around the world and in space like the Herschel Satellite.

Dr Leeuw has a deep interest in inspiring and training the next generation of scientists from Southern Africa as well as groups that are unrepresented in science and technology in the USA. He is actively addressing opportunities for astrophysics research activities between university groups in the USA and SA. if you have any interest in this endeavor please contact Dr Leeuw through SAABC by clicking here. 


Why have you returned to South Africa now?
I returned to help grow the field of astrophysics in Africa, hopefully contribute something to society as a whole (to be the best it can be) and to enjoy the country and its people, including friends and family. I am also very interested in facilitating technology transfer and development to Southern Africa - particularly in the Renewable Energy field.

Dr Leeuw (right) with his mentee student of AIMS (African Institute of Mathematical Sciences) and former AIMS director (left).  

Background and Achievements by Dr Lerothodi Leeuw
Born in Taung, South Africa, Lerothodi grew up in the Kalahari townships of Pampierstad and Mmabatho. After matriculating from Mmabatho High School, he briefly attended the University of Witwatersrand in South Africa, before moving to the USA, where he completed a post-graduate year at Phillips Academy Andover in Massachusetts.  He holds a S.B. degree in Physics from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an M.F.A. degree in Creative Writing from Columbia University, an M.S. degree in Astronomy from the University of Cape Town, and a Ph.D. degree in Astrophysics from the University of Central Lancashire.

He has held astrophysics research positions at the University of Toledo, Ohio; the University of Chicago, Illinois; and Rhodes University, South Africa. His scientific work has been published in international journals such as Science Magazine.  General science writing he has penned or in which he was profiled have appeared in several South African newspapers, including in the November 2010 issues of The Star and Diamond Field Advertiser and February 2011 issue of Motsosakgang.