A University of KwaZulu-Natal graduate has made history by becoming the first woman appointed as the United Kingdom’s Astronomer Royal since the position was created in 1675.
Professor Michele Dougherty, who was born in Johannesburg and raised in Durban, will take over the honorary role from Lord Martin Rees, who held the position for three decades. The Astronomer Royal serves as an advisor to the British monarch on astronomical matters.
Dougherty’s journey to this prestigious appointment began in South African classrooms. She attended Gordon Road Girls’ School and later Mitchell High School, where physics and chemistry weren’t even offered. Despite this setback, her father – Professor Brian Dougherty, who worked in civil engineering at both the University of Natal and University of Durban-Westville – encouraged her scientific curiosity.
“My education opened up possibilities that would not have opened up otherwise,” Dougherty reflected on her academic journey.
Her father’s passion for astronomy proved infectious. She fondly remembers helping him build a telescope as a child, through which she first glimpsed the moons of Jupiter and Saturn – celestial bodies she would later study professionally through unmanned spacecraft missions.
Breaking barriers from day one
Taking her father’s advice, Dougherty enrolled at the University of Natal for a Bachelor of Science degree, despite lacking high school physics and chemistry. She persevered through eight challenging years, completing her honours in physics and PhD in applied mathematics in 1989.
Even then, she was breaking barriers. “I was one of only a handful of female students in a class of over 400 in my first year,” she recalled. This early experience of being in the minority prepared her for a career where she would consistently ensure opportunities came her way based on qualifications, not gender.
After completing her studies, Dougherty left South Africa for a fellowship at the Max Planck Institute for Astronomy in Germany, before joining Imperial College London. A colleague’s recognition of her leadership abilities led to her involvement in preparing magnetic field models for spacecraft missions – work that has defined her career since 1991.
Her career highlights include serving as principal investigator for the magnetometer on the Cassini spacecraft mission to Saturn, where she oversaw 40 scientists. The mission achieved a breakthrough when her team detected signatures suggesting an atmosphere on Saturn’s moon Enceladus – a discovery confirmed on a subsequent flyby that Dougherty herself requested.
Currently, she juggles multiple high-profile roles: Executive Chair of UK Research and Innovation’s Science and Technology Facilities Council (STFC), President-elect of the Institute of Physics, and Professor of Space Physics at Imperial College London. At STFC, she leads 3 000 people and manages the UK’s access to large-scale international scientific infrastructure.
Vision for the role
In her new position as Astronomer Royal, Dougherty plans to focus on public outreach, aiming to engage people with “the wonder of astronomy and science, and its potential to provide real returns for the UK economy.”
She sees the role as an opportunity to promote scientific careers and inspire women who can now see someone like themselves in senior scientific leadership positions. She acknowledges the women who “shattered glass ceilings” before her and credits mentors like Emeritus Professor Margy Kivelson of UCLA as sources of inspiration.
Maintaining South African connections
Despite her international success, Dougherty maintains strong ties to South Africa. She regularly visits her sister and family, and continues working on projects like the Square Kilometre Array telescope initiative.
Her former professors remember her fondly. Emeritus Professor Manfred Hellberg recalled her “intelligence, determination and work ethic that shaped what he called a stellar career.” She was taught by notable academics including the late Professor Jim McKenzie, an expert in space plasma physics.
From building backyard telescopes in Durban to leading space missions and now advising the British monarchy on astronomical matters, Professor Michele Dougherty’s journey exemplifies how South African education and determination can reach for the stars – quite literally.
The appointment takes effect immediately, with Dougherty becoming the 18th person to hold the historic title.
