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JILA and NIST Fellow Dr. Eric Cornell is one of two Nobel Laureates currently working at JILA. In this episode, you'll hear the story of how Cornell worked to discover the BEC (Bose-Einstein-Condensate), which earned him a Nobel Prize in 2001, and how the Nobel Prize has affected his career. You'll also hear about Cornell's current research and meet one of his graduate students Anzhou Wang, who discusses what it's like working for a Nobel laureate.

In a vibrant celebration of International Day of Women and Girls in Science 2024, women of JILA's scientific community gathered in the Debbie Jin Rooms (S209) for a unique networking event designed to foster connections and celebrate the achievements of women in the field of science. The event attracted a variety of participants, ranging from first-year graduate students to 3rd-year postdocs, and offered a casual yet intimate setting for attendees to share experiences, challenges, and accomplishments.

To make some of the most precise measurements in the world, JILA scientists need customized electronic components. This is where the JILA instrument shop comes in, as they design, improve, and implement these unique electronic devices throughout the institute. Meet three of the electronic staff members: Terry Brown, James Fung-A-Fat, and Ivan Ryger, and their favorite moments of working in the electronics shop

Welcome to the fourth episode of the "Humans of JILA" podcast, where we delve into the captivating world of scientific illustration. Today, we're thrilled to have Steven Burrows, JILA's esteemed Director of Science Communications and a renowned Scientific Illustrator, as our special guest. With a career at JILA that spans almost a decade, Steven has been at the forefront of blending art and science, bringing complex scientific concepts to life through his illustrations. 

JILA's commitment to excellence and inclusivity was recently celebrated with the presentation of the JILA JEDI (JILA Excellence in Diversity and Inclusivity) Awards.JILA Postdocs Rachael Merritt and Jake Higgins were honored for their exemplary leadership of the recently founded JILA Postdoctoral Group. Additionally, JILA graduate student Sinéad Ryan also received a JILA JEDI Award, recognizing her outstanding leadership of the 'Life after JILA' group and her pivotal role in organizing the successful Life After JILA Alumni mixer.

On a cold November evening at the Rayback Collective in Boulder, JILA hosted its inaugural "Life After JILA" Alumni Mixer. As hosted by the Life After JILA group within the institute, the Mixer invited alumni from the Colorado and Front Range areas to a night of networking and reconnecting. Over 40 individuals came for the event, including alumni now employed at NIST, DU, Quantinuum, Infleqtion, FormFactor, and LASP.

The postdoctoral position, or “postdoc” as it is colloquially called, can span between one to three years, as a researcher focuses on their next career steps after their Ph.D. During this time, individuals develop unique research projects while considering where to transition to next. To understand this position better, the “Humans of JILA” podcast interviewed the two Co-Chairs of the JILA Postdoc Group: Rachael Merritt and Jake Higgins.

Every year, the JILA community celebrates the passions and interests of its individuals through the JILA-X talks, a series of three-minute talks given by ten individuals of JILA. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the talks were hosted virtually in 2021 and postponed until 2023 since then. This year, reprising this tradition, the JILA-X speakers faced a full auditorium as staff, Fellows, postdocs, and graduate students shared their interests, ranging from bat ecology to Oreo cookies to pottery making.

In the early morning hours at JILA, before most of the laboratories are up and running, a team of custodians diligently works to ensure the building is clean and safe for use. Because each laboratory has different requirements for what can and cannot be cleaned, the challenge of tidying JILA’s many facilities is far from straightforward. However, the team of six custodians, Boua Sayavong, Nouan Saengdara, Beatriz Soto, Irma Bernard, Gabriela Soto, and Gabriela Mora, who have had years of experience dealing with JILA’s unique requirements, handle these challenges in stride.