Today, Fong, 35, works at Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois, where she’s trying to uncover other clues about transients — like whether neutron star mergers account for most GRBs and what the other sources of these flashes might be. She’s also investigating which elements are produced in the collisions that create GRBs.
“For a long time, people thought supernovae made all of the heavy elements in our universe, including gold, platinum, and silver,” Fong says. “But now we actually think that neutron star mergers might account for a good fraction of [them].”
In addition to her scientific achievements, Fong is known for her mentorship to students and her work to make astronomy more inclusive — particularly for women, who remain underrepresented.
“She’s incredibly humble, brilliant, creative, and transformative,” says Enrico Ramirez-Ruiz, a theoretical astrophysicist and Vera Rubin and Presidential Chair for Diversity in Astronomy at the University of California, Santa Cruz. “When I think about individuals that we need to really move the field forward, I cannot think of anyone better.”
Make sure to explore our full list of 25 rising stars in astronomy. Check back each week for a new profile!
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