Thank you for your interest. I am a current PhD Candidate in the Department of Physics and Astronomy at the University of Louisville in Louisville Kentucky. I received my BS in Physics from Western Kentucky University under mentorship of Dr. Michael Carini.
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I expect to complete my PhD by Spring 2026 then move into post doctoral positions to refine my research skills.
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More detailed information is included in this site and I can be reached using the "contact me" section for any additional questions.
Research Interests
I tend to find myself most interested in what I always think of as large scale questions. How galaxies evolve instead of mapping a specific galaxy. How gas regions correlate to star formation rates instead of studying a specific star forming region. Questions such as these are what I find myself most interested in.
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I have done some work in instrumentation as well, and I maintain an interest in the science and engineering that creates the tools by which we expand our understanding of the universe.
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For details on the specific projects that I have been a part of, please see the Research tab, or click "Learn More" below.
Publications
Holwerda, B. W., et al. including Cook, K. W., 2022, MNRAS, 513, 2, 1972, "Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA): Self-organizing Map Application on Nearby Galaxies", [ADS]
Thomas-Osip, J.E., Prieto, G., Berdja, A., Cook, K. W., Villanueva Jr., S., DePoy, D.L., Marshall, J. L., Rheault, J.P., Allen, R. D., and Carona, D. W., 2012, PASP, 124, 84, "Characterizing Optical Turbulence at the GMT site with MooSci and MASS-DIMM"
Cook, K.W., DePoy, D. L., Marshall, J. L., Villanueva Jr., S., Rheault, J., Allen, R.D., Carona, D. W., Thomas-Osip, J. E., Prieto, G., Berdja, A., 2012, Bulletin of the American Astronomical Society, 219, 422.14, "Design of the MooSci Lunar Scintillometer"]