Kaitlin Cook comes from the outskirts of Perth in Western Australia and is a s PhB scholar specialising in astronomy. "I think I always knew I wanted to do something in either physics or astronomy. I chose ANU because it’s one of the best universities in Australia especially in its research program. The existence of the PhB program was invaluable to me because it gave me an opportunity to undertake research projects during my undergraduate degree. My first year project focused on black holes and this coming year I’ll most likely be looking at the elemental composition of the bodies that make up the solar system. I love being able to do this kind of cool stuff whilst I’m doing my undergraduate."

"I’ve always been interested in physics and astronomy but I’m finding that I get more and more into it, the more I learn about it. Physics is so fundamental and so important I can’t imagine not studying it. To my mind, one of the most important things a human being can do is add to the sum of all human knowledge. That’s why I love research and ultimately would like to be a professional scientist. When it comes down to it, science is creative. It’s all about thinking outside the square."

"My advice to anyone wanting to work in science would be to never lose sight of the big picture. Don’t let yourself get bogged down in the intricacies of high school and first year science. That’s all important stuff you’ll need to know, so you have to learn it, but keep yourself focused on how cool science is and the awesome things you get to do as a professional scientist."