Completing a Ph.D. is considered one of the greatest academic achievements. Completing two at the same time is a remarkable accomplishment, especially while moving between countries every six to 10 months and coordinating work across time zones up to 12 hours apart. At  Georgia State University, doctoral candidate Fallon Konow is doing exactly that.

Konow is expected to graduate this spring with two doctoral degrees simultaneously, a Ph.D. in Astronomy from Georgia State University and a Ph.D. in Astronomy, Astrophysics and Space Sciences through the University of Rome La Sapienza in partnership with the University of Rome Tor Vergata and the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF).

Originally from Chicago, Konow has spent the past three years moving between countries and research while developing new instruments to study the Sun. Today, she splits her time between Rome, Italy, and southern California, where the telescopes used in her research are located. However, her journey in astronomy began years before graduate school. She is fascinated by how physics describes everything from everyday motion on Earth to the movement of distant stars.

Konow began considering the possibility of earning two Ph.D.s during her Master's degree program and discussed it with her adviser, Stuart Jefferies, a professor in Georgia State’s Department of Physics and Astronomy and an associate scientist at the University of Rome Tor Vergata, before choosing which program to attend.

“Stuart and I talked about it really early on., I think maybe even before I decided which graduate program I would attend. At that point it was still just a possibility, but it became more real as I was preparing for my master’s qualifying exams,” Konow said.
After finishing her master’s at Georgia State in 2022, she applied to Ph.D. programs in Italy through a national competition. She was accepted into two competitive programs and joined the Astronomy, Astrophysics, and Space Sciences Ph.D. program at Sapienza University of Rome.

Her research focuses on building new solar observation instruments designed to better understand the Sun and monitor space weather. In simple terms, she often describes her project as: “Fallon builds stuff to study the Sun.”

The dual degree is defined by an Agreement between the two universities and is structured to allow Konow to split her time between the U.S. and Italy. While she works on projects at both institutions, her research is integrated into a single dissertation that meets the requirements of both Ph.D. programs.

Her work contributes to the Global Automatic Telescopes Exploring the Sun (GATES) network, an international system of robotic telescopes designed to observe the Sun continuously and monitor space weather events such as solar flares and coronal mass ejections.

For Konow, one of the most exciting parts of the research is creating something new, especially instruments that can support the work of many scientists.

While the accomplishment is impressive, the journey has not been easy. Balancing research across countries and time zones can be a big challenge. Konow moved every six to 10 months while coordinating meetings across time zones, sometimes up to 12 hours apart. She also gained a deeper appreciation for the challenges faced by international students navigating complex visa processes and bureaucratic requirements. She hopes her story highlights the resilience and dedication of international students.

Despite the challenges, the experience abroad expanded her research opportunities and perspective.

Beyond her research, Konow is passionate about science outreach, contributing to programs like the Georgia Outreach Team for Space, the SHINE workshop and Astronomy on Tap Atlanta. She said her achievements would not have been possible without the support of her family, adviser and friends.

After completing her Ph.D.s, she plans to pursue a postdoctoral research position in solar physics or scientific instrumentation, with the long-term goal of becoming a professor.

She also hopes to help make STEM fields more accessible to future generations.

“Growing up as a nerdy, STEM-loving girl, I was constantly told, explicitly or implicitly, that I was in the wrong place,” she said. “‘Physics isn’t for girls. Graduate physics isn’t for girls. Instrumentation isn’t for girls.’

“But it is. It is for everyone.”