Theresa Lynn Joins the Physics Department

The Department of Physics is delighted to report the successful completion of our search in the fields of quantum optics, atmospheric physics, and soft condensed matter physics with the hiring of Theresa W. Lynn. Dr. Lynn graduated summa cum laude from Harvard-Radcliffe Colleges, where she earned the Derek Bok Prize for excellence in teaching, as well as a Barry M. Goldwater scholarship.

Dr. Lynn brought a NSF graduate fellowship to Caltech, where she worked on quantum optics with Professor H. J. Kimble. Her work included the development of apparatus and algorithms for the real-time control of single atoms, as well as studies of the interaction between single atoms and single photons in a cavity. Her thesis work on “Measurement and Control of Individual Quanta in Cavity QED” was also supported by a Schlumberger Graduate Fellowship.

While at Caltech she continued her interest in education as a founding member of the Caltech Project for Effective Teaching. Since 2003 she has served as project coordinator for the California HIgh school Cosmic ray ObServatory (CHICOS), which comprises a large-scale array of 90 scintillation detectors for observation of ultra-high energy cosmic ray air showers. For the past two years she has also taught sections of our core laboratory courses. In addition to developing a program in quantum optics, Dr. Lynn intends to continue the CHICOS work as she begins her full-time tenure at HMC.