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Dr. Jane Cook

Dr. Jane Cook loves to work with artists to teach them how scientific and engineering fundamentals can inform their work. She has over 25 years of expertise in glass, ceramics, and metallurgy, and holds a Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.  She is currently research professor in glass science at Penn State University, and director of the Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery on campus. “Dr. Jane” was the Chief Scientist at The Corning Museum of Glass where she was the principle resource on the science and technology of glass for exhibits and programs, and coordinator and advisor to the Specialty Glass Artist-in-Residence program. Prior to joining CMoG, she was a distinguished scientist at Corning Research & Development for 16 years, and inventor on over thirty patent applications.  In her own artwork, Jane’s transdisciplinary explorations probe the interplay of ambiguity and precision between art and science, and explores themes of emergence within shifting reference frames: the blurry lines between chaos, patterns, and understanding.  She currently focuses on aspects of materiality and process considered as “failures,” and seeks to elevate the entirety of a material’s potential into intentionality, to create new, rich vocabularies for expression.