Meet The Team
Mr. Jason Shingirai Makechemu
PresidentShingirai is ZAS’ first elected president. He is an Astrophysics PhD student at Lancaster University in the UK. Currently, his PhD research focus is on using machine learning tools to distinguish the visual morphologies of accreting supermassive black holes in the early universe! He completed his undergraduate education at Aberystwyth University in Wales, where he received a Peter Hancock scholarship.
Ms. Thobekile Sandra Ngwane
PresidentThobekile served as ZAS’ president during our initial establishment, and is a 2nd year Master’s student studying Astronomy at the University of Cape Town on a Mastercard Foundation Scholarship. Her research is on Near Earth Asteroids and Instrumentation. She completed her Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Applied Physics at the National University of Science and Technology in Zimbabwe, where she focused on Astronomy and Industrial Instrumentation in her final year.
Professor Golden Gadzirayi Nyambuya
Education And Outreach ChairProfessor Nyambuya holds the distinction of being the first Dr. of Fundamental Theoretical Astrophysics in Zimbabwe. He has over 12 years of teaching experience, in modules such as Classical Mechanics, Thermodynamics, Solid State Physics, and Statistical Mechanics; and he is the author of more than 70 journal articles and two books. Not to mention that he has taught many people who are on the ZAS founding members list!
Professor Shazrene Mohamed
Chief AdvisorProfessor Mohamed is our chief advisor, she holds many accomplishments including being a Rhodes scholar, and Astrophysics PhD Doctorate from the University of Oxford (2009) and attaining a bachelor’s degree in astrophysics and mathematics from Harvard University (2004). Currently, she is a professor at the University of Virginia in the USA, where she specialises in supercomputer simulations of single and binary stars in their final phases of evolution.
Mr. Timothy kuhamba
Outreach AdvisorOur outreach advisor and a true trailblazer of space engineering and outreach in Zimbabwe. He is one of the three Engineers who built Zimbabwe’s first satellite, ZIMSAT-1, at Kyushu Institute of Technology in Japan. He is also a pioneer of Space Education awareness in Zimbabwe. Mr. Kuhamba funded the World Space Week celebrations from 2014 to 2017 until the Government of Zimbabwe realised his efforts by sponsoring the World Space Week Quiz 2018 which was aired on National Television. Mr Kuhamba has been the National Coordinator for World Space Week Zimbabwe since 2014. He is also a recipient of the Space Generation Advisory Council (SGAC) 2019 Africa Space Leader Award.
Mr. Praise Nesvinga
General SecretaryPraise Nesvinga is our general secretary. He is in his final semester of studies for a BSc. in Applied Mathematics at the National University of Science and Technology in Zimbabwe. His research focus is on a systematic analysis of the efficacy of Newton’s second law of motion in predicting the dynamics of celestial bodies within the context of a locally expanding spacetime continuum, with a particular focus on the observed discrepancies in the Flyby Anomalies as a paradigmatic case study.
Mr. Ashley Nyamandi
Media DepartmentAshley Nyamandi is in our media department, he obtained a Bachelor of Science Honours Degree in Applied Physics at the National University of Science and Technology (Zimbabwe) in 2022. In 2023 he was awarded the Pan African Planetary and Science Network (PAPSSN) scholarship to pursue a master’s degree in Astrophysics at The Copperbelt University in Zambia, which he should complete in 2025. His main science interest is to apply machine learning to the solving of astrophysical problems. During his spare time, he likes playing chess and going out with friends.
Mr. Wilbert Tsoka
Education DepartmentMr. Wilbert Tsoka is in our Education department. He holds an MSc degree in Nuclear and Quantum Engineering from Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST). He attained his BSc Honours Degree in Applied Physics at the National University of Science and Technology (NUST), Zimbabwe. His research interests are in gravitational waves and The Unified Field Theory.
Mr. Simbarashe Msindo
Education DepartmentMr. Simbarashe Msindo holds a B.sc Honors Degree in Applied Physics from NUST. He is currently pursuing an M.Phil in Theoretical Experimental Physics at MSU, and his research interests are in Radio Astronomy. He is in the education department where he assists educational and outreach activities in Zimbabwe.