Prof Stephen Potter completed an MSc (in Astrophysics) at Queen Mary University, London, before embarking on PhD studies (on optical and X-ray studies of intermediate polars) at the Mullard Space Science Laboratory (MSSL) of the University College London. In May 1999, on completion of doctorate, he took up a Postdoctoral Fellowship at the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) which became a permanent staff astronomer in position 2004. Duties (besides research) include support astronomer, instrument scientist (for the SALT and the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) telescopes and instruments) and software development. An author or coauthor on over 100 publications in refereed journals, mostly in the area of accreting close binary stars, including cataclysmic variables and X-ray binaries and recently on the interstellar medium. Since 2012 he has served on the South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO) executive as head of the Astronomy Division. He is currently the principle investigator for South African Astronomical Observatory (SAAO)'s Intelligent Observatory program.
