Eryn+Cook

Hi! My name is Eryn Cook; I'm starting my third year as a graduate student in the physics program at the University of Oregon, and this will be my first year in the GK-12 program. My work at the UO in Dan Steck's atom optics lab involves developing new equipment for precision measurements using laser cooled and trapped atoms. We assemble ultra-high vacuum chambers and develop most of our lasers and electronics in-house, so it's a great place to learn about a lot of different technologies. Our experiments use lasers and magnetic fields to cool atoms down to temperatures near absolute zero, where quantum effects are much easier to examine, so the science is pretty exciting as well.

When I'm not in the lab, I enjoy puttering in the garden and hiking and biking all around Eugene. I'm a Northwest native, born in Pullman, Washington and completing my undergraduate work at the University of Washington in Seattle. I love everything the Northwest has to offer, and I'm excited to get to know eastern Oregon better.