News from the Chair

Elizabeth Crosson

Starting in September, Elizabeth Crosson will join the Department of Physics and Astronomy as an assistant professor in the Center for Quantum Information and Control. Crosson comes to UNM from Caltech institute for Quantum Information and Matter where she has been a postdoctoral scholar since 2015.

Crosson earned her Ph.D. in physics at the University of Washington, having spent two years as a visitor at the MIT Center for Theoretical Physics during her dissertation.

Crosson's research takes a theoretical approach to understanding the physics of quantum systems from a computational point of view. She is interested in using quantum dynamics to devise faster algorithms for solving difficult optimization problems, and also in understanding the complexity of physical systems that are on the border between the classical and quantum worlds.

Crosson was born in Hawaii and lived on the Big Island where her curiosity about the universe and passion for education motivated her to pursue a career in physics. In her free time she enjoys walking outdoors and drawing inspiration from beautiful scenery.

Her website is elizabethcrosson.com.