Dominic Vertue joined the OAD in June 2022. He has a background in Social Work and humanitarian assistance with a master’s in medical social work. Dominic has a passion for people and holds a firm belief that, with support, individuals can overcome their physical, environmental, and mental barriers and positively contribute to their communities. Dominic has several years of experience in public health and involvement with community-based programs to empower vulnerable groups. Within the OAD Dominic forms part of the Astronomy for Mental Health Flagship and he will be exploring the role astronomy can play in mental well-being.

Joyful has a Ph.D. in Physics from the University of the Witwatersrand. She is a member of the Golden Key International Honour Society and an alumna of the Black Women in Science (BWIS) where she is currently serving on the steering committee. She also serves as the executive committee’s secretary for the Women in Physics in South Africa (WiPiSA) for the 2022–2024 term. She is passionate about science communication and community outreach through volunteering her time in outreach programmes. She joined the OAD in June 2023 and forms part of the Astronomy for Mental Health Flagship. She believes that life is too short to be anything but joyful, so smile as often as you can.

Azasiwe has a Masters in Economics from the University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa with a strong background in microeconomics research and quantitative and qualitative data analysis. She joined the OAD in May 2025 as an intern focusing on Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E), contributing to the assessment of impact and effectiveness in astronomy-for-development projects. Passionate about econometric models that make sense and tell compelling stories about people and behaviour, Azasiwe finds excitement in turning numbers into narratives. As a member of the Macroeconomic Research Unit (MRU), she contributes to ongoing economic research and brings data wrangling skills. Her interests lie at the intersection of microeconomics, behavioural science, policy, data, and inclusive development, driven by a belief in the power of research and evidence to support meaningful change.

Thara holds a physics bachelor’s degree from the Autonomous University of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Passionate about advocating for physics students, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds, she has been part of the Executive Committee of the International Association of Physics Students for the past two years. She is interested in astroparticle physics and how science and policy can combine to improve the world. She joined the OAD in June 2023 and forms part of the Astronomy for Mental Health Flagship.

Sandra Benitez Herrera studied Physics at the Complutense University of Madrid, Spain, and obtained her PhD at the Max-Planck for Astrophysics and the Technical University in Munich, Germany. She also has a specialization in Science Communication and Education, which she studied while she was working at the Museum of Astronomy and Related Sciences of Rio de Janeiro. Currently, Sandra works at the Outreach Department of the Astrophysical Institute of the Canary Islands in several astronomy outreach projects. She is a member of the GalileoMobile voluntary program since 2011 and has organized educational initiatives in rural schools of India, Brazil, Ecuador, Chile, Uganda, Bolivia & Algeria. Since 2018 she is the coordinator of the “Amanar: under the same sky” project to support the Sahrawi refugee community. Within the OAD Sandra is part of the Astronomy for Mental Health Flagship, trying to assess the restorative effects of Astronomy and its potential to improve the mental well-being of vulnerable communities, such as refugees.

Dana joined the OAD Team in October 2021 to work on the impact analysis and communication of OAD projects.  She has a background in astronomy- obtained her Bachelors in Astronomy at the University of Nanjing, China, her Masters at the Babes-Bolyai University, Cluj-Napoca and her PhD at the University of Hertfordshire, UK. She also has a masters in Educational Sciences, Curricular Management and experience as a member in the OAD Review panel. In her OAD project, she is studying the impact of funded OAD projects as well as ways to improve the communication of this data base of projects.

Tanita Ramburuth-Hurt is a South African astrophysicist, currently working on her PhD at the University of Geneva in Switzerland. Her PhD research is on the gas and dust in galaxies, which are essential ingredients for star formation and galaxy evolution. She focusses on investigating the metal variation in the interstellar medium of both distant galaxies and the Milky Way. Tanita believes that science is for people who have an unshakeable desire to discover, understand and communicate how and why the universe works. She is passionate about using astronomy as a tool for development and for giving all people equal access to pursuing their dreams. Tanita is visiting the OAD for two weeks in March 2023.

Michael Levine is a student of Finance and Economics at Susquehanna University based in Selinsgrove Pennsylvania, USA. He has done previous research on the effects of COVID-19 on the aesthetic industry (non-invasive surgery)  in Europe. And completed an internship and work experience in global settings with people around the world, most recently at a large financial technology-based solutions firm in NYC.