Dr. Jane Cook

Artist Statement

In her artwork, Jane researches the interplay of the ambiguity of consciousness with the precision of 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 sometimes considered as “failures” and seeks to elevate the entirety of a material’s potential into intentionality, to create new, rich vocabularies that transcend utility and comfort.

Bio

Dr. Jane Cook is a research professor at Penn State University in Materials Science and Engineering, and director of the Earth and Mineral Sciences Museum & Art Gallery on campus. Formerly, Jane was Chief Scientist at The Corning Museum of Glass, the museum’s principal resource to artists, curators, scholars, and visitors on the science and technology of glass.

Jane is known for her ability to explain the science of glass in fun, memorable, and enabling ways. She continues to teach and lecture worldwide on how scientific and engineering fundamentals can inform artists’ work and the public’s engagement with the made world.

Jane earned a Ph.D. in Metallurgical Engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and is a materials engineer with over 25 years of expertise in glass, metals, ceramics, and semiconductors. She worked at Corning Incorporated R&D for 16 years, and is inventor on over 30 patent applications.

Gallery