LOC Chair

Professor, Cal Poly Physics, and Affiliate Professor, Cal Poly Computer Engineering

After attending the University of Bonn and getting her Master’s and Ph.D. in Physics from the Ohio State University, Kat Gillen joined Cal Poly in 2006. Her research areas are cold atoms and quantum computing. Kat Gillen has been a strong proponent of inclusion efforts at the department and college level. She helped the Physics Department join the APS IDEA program, designed to support institutional change towards inclusion, as well as the TEAM UP Implementation workshop program of the AIP, which has the specific goal of doubling the number of physics bachelor degrees awarded to Black or African American students in the United States. She was also club advisor of Women in Physics for many years. 

Professor and Chair, Cal Poly Physics

Jennifer Klay is a professor and chair of physics at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. She has a BS in Astrophysics from UCLA and a PhD in Nuclear Physics from UC Davis.  Over the course of her career, Professor Klay has been a member of seven innovative nuclear physics experiments and worked at six U.S. National Laboratories and two international labs. Currently, Professor Klay is a member of the ALICE, NIFFTE, and ePIC collaborations, funded by the U.S. National Science Foundation and the U.S. Department of Energy to work with Cal Poly undergraduate students exploring nuclear collisions at low and high energy.  She is also a fervent advocate for expanding nuclear energy as a solution to climate change.  

Hilary Jacks received her BS from the University of Miami, with majors in physics and biology and minors in chemistry and mathematics.  In 2018, she earned her PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, where she worked under Dr. Frances Hellman on the structural origins of two-level systems in amorphous silicon.  While a graduate student, she also took several leadership roles with the Berkeley Compass Project to increase retention and diversity in physics by supporting and nurturing undergraduate learning communities.  Dr. Jacks is currently an assistant professor at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, where she continues to be passionate about learning communities in the classroom and in the lab.  Her current research explores how the structures of disordered systems are related to their histories. 

Dr. Vokos is Professor of Physics at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo (Cal Poly), where he co-directs the STEM Teacher and Researcher Program. Although his Ph.D. and postdoc work was in theoretical physics, he realized that physics education research was his calling. After ten years at the University of Washington and fourteen years at Seattle Pacific University, he joined Cal Poly in 2016. He is currently involved in efforts to improve student learning and to deepen belongingness in physics and engineering courses, and investigates impacts of placing STEM teachers in summer research experiences at US national labs. He is also the Cal Poly PI on a multi-institutional curriculum development project involving dozens of US-based faculty and more than 200 Egyptian faculty, which is creating an international model for project-based teacher education. He has served as chair of the Advisory Board for the STEP-UP project of the American Physical Society, which is a national effort to reverse the underrepresentation of women in physics undergraduate programs.

Assistant Professor, Cal Poly Physics 

Isinsu received her BS degree in Physics from Bilkent University, Ankara, Turkiye and her MS and PhD degrees in Physics from Koc University, Istanbul, Turkiye. She joined Cal Poly Physics in 2023. Her research interests include near-infrared femtosecond solid-state laser design, laser and material interactions, ultrafast spectroscopy, and nonlinear optics. Isinsu is one of the 2019 OPTICA (formerly, The Optical Society) Ambassadors and 2022 OPTICA Senior Members. She is also a member of The Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings Alumni. Isinsu has been mentoring international student groups and performing science outreach activities as a recent member of Cal Poly and Ambassador of OPTICA.  

Administrative Support Assistant, Cal Poly Physics

Michelle Wardrop is the Administrative Support Assistant for the Physics Department at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo.  She has been in the department for a little over five years.  Michelle supports the department’s Faculty and students in her Administrative Assistant role.  She is passionate about supporting students and loves interacting with them.  Michelle’s dedication earned her the 2023 Cal Poly Women in Physics Embodiment and Inclusion Award.  She collaborates on several Committees, including the Physics DEI Committee and the Student Career Facilitation Committee.  One of her favorite hobbies is Geology and she has a collection of many minerals and gemstones. 

Erik Veach has a background in Optics and Acoustics, researching non-invasive optical imaging techniques while in his doctoral physics program at the University of Oregon and active and passive noise control systems as an acoustical engineer.  His family background in music, along with his experience in acoustics and digital audio algorithms led him to work in the professional music industry until he returned to academia in 2019.  He has been teaching physics and astronomy at Cuesta Community College since then and physics courses at Cal Poly part-time since 2022.   Erik helped lead the expansion of dual-enrollment physics course offerings at high schools throughout San Luis Obispo County.  He has also championed efforts to increase early STEM career exploration for high school students, including the development of a renewable energy summer camp funded by SLOCOE. 

Hyewon Pechkis received her bachelor’s degree in Korea and her PhD from the University of Connecticut where she studied the formation ultracold molecules through photoassociation.  After she received her PhD, Dr. Pechkis studied spinor Bose-Einstein Condensates (BECs) and Bose thermal gases as a postdoctoral fellow in the Laser Cooling and Trapping Group at the National Institute of Standards and Technology.  Dr. Pechkis is a recipient of an NSF Faculty Early Career Development Program (CAREER) Award and is actively involved in cold atom research with students at Cal Poly. 

Undergraduate Student, Cal Poly Physics

Matilda Eriksson is a fourth-year undergraduate student in Physics at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. Matilda is the President of Women in Physics club at Cal Poly, along with President of the Sigma Pi Sigma Physics Honors society. Throughout her time at Cal Poly, she has conducted research in particle physics and nanoelectronics. In addition, she has worked at Caltech as a WAVE scholar, doing projects in radio astronomy and quantum condensed matter. Currently, she is working on neuromorphic carbon nanotube systems together with Dr. Colleen Marlow. 

Undergraduate Student, Cal Poly Physics

Olivia Rourke is a fourth-year undergraduate Physics major at Cal Poly SLO. She has a minor in astronomy and is passionate about multidisciplinary research.  Within the department, she holds board positions in the Women in Physics Club and the Sigma Pi Sigma Physics Honors Society. At Cal Poly, Olivia has conducted research in various labs primarily focusing on soft matter systems. She has spent her summers researching at Cal Poly, Caltech, and UC Berkeley. Outside the lab, Olivia loves to hike with her dog, practice yoga, and volunteer at the Veteran's Memorial Museum.  

Undergraduate Student, Cal Poly Physics

Deja Dominguez is a fourth-year undergraduate at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo. She is a physics Major, with a minor in Computer Science. Deja is a Bailey College of Science and Mathematics Ambassador and Student Representative on the Physics Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. During her time at Cal Poly, she has conducted research on thermoelectric materials under Dr. Matt Beekman. In addition, she has worked at Stanford University researching the acoustics of materials and microstructures in the Geballe Laboratory for Advanced Materials. 

Undergraduate Student, Cal Poly Physics

Isabelle Cobb is a fourth-year undergraduate Physics major at Cal Poly, San Luis Obispo, minoring in Environmental Studies. Isabelle is the President of the Society of Physics Students at Cal Poly, along with the Secretary of the Minorities in Physics club. During her time here, Isabelle has conducted research in physical oceanography under Dr. Ryan Walter, namely focusing on coastal upwelling and marine heat wave systems. She has also shown great interest in green energy engineering, interning at SLAC National Laboratory with the DOE, and participating in NASA’s Student Airborne Research Program within NASA’s Earth Sciences Division. 

Undergraduate Student, Cuesta College

Ava Martinez is a Mechanical Engineering student at Cuesta College. Ava is the President of the Cuesta College STEM Club, and a member of the Louis Stokes Alliance for Minorities Program (LSAMP), Society for the Advancement of Chicanos/Hispanics and Native Americans in Science (SACNAS) Club, and the STEMinist Networking Group. She is a tutor at the Cuesta College Student Success Center specializing in Physics, Engineering, and Math, as well as the embedded tutor for Principles of Physics 1. She is transferring Fall 2025 and is hoping to concentrate in Mechatronics. 

Undergraduate Student at Cuesta Community College

Kiri Schepler is currently a second-year undergraduate student at Cuesta College majoring in Physics and Computer Science. Kiri is a part of the STEM Club, Art Club and the STEMinist  Networking Group. They are a physics tutor at the Cuesta College Student Success Center and an embedded tutor for the high school dual-enrolled physics classes. They are transferring in Fall 2025 with plans to go into astrophysics. 

MESA/STEM Academic Success Center Coordinator/Counselor, Allan Hancock College 

Christine has been a faculty member at Allan Hancock College since 1996. The first 13 years of her career, she was the University Transfer Center Counselor/Coordinator. Since that time, she has served as the Mathematics, Engineering, Science Achievement (MESA) Program Counselor/Coordinator. Additionally, she teaches Personal Development courses, serves as the Chief Negotiator of the Faculty Association, and is the Project Director for the California Central Coast Community College Collaborative (C6) NSF-LSAMP grant. Christine holds a bachelor’s degree in Agricultural Business from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo and a master’s degree in education, counseling and guidance from California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo. She enjoys living on the Central Coast, competing in triathlons locally and throughout the state, being a mother of twins, and supporting student success among the student body of Allan Hancock College.