Unique PhD collaboration with a focus on Astronomy from two different perspectives
Tasis Kapodistrias and Giacomo Bortolini have been working together since September 2022 in a new paired-PhD project based on representation in Astronomy higher education.
From left: Tasis Kapodistrias (Department of Teaching and Learning) and Giacomo Bortolini (Department of Astronomy). Photo: Private.Tasis Kapodistrias and Giacomo Bortolini are two PhD students at Stockholm University working on a paired-PhD project. Tasis focuses on investigating the construction and use of representations in astronomy education, while Giacomo's research focuses on the physics of galaxies and their formation and evolution over time. The two students also collaborate on joint projects. They plan to examine how astronomical images are visualized and interpreted on social media and explore ways to improve the visualization of astronomy knowledge. The collaboration between the two students is seen as innovative and aims to produce articles that provide different perspectives on astronomy. They also emphasize the importance of teaching in scientific research and express their excitement about the learning opportunities the project has provided. The overall goal of the project is to enhance astronomy learning at the university level and make the journey toward becoming an astronomer more enjoyable and accessible for beginners.