  Radio-frequency electric-dipole transitions between nearly degenerate,
opposite parity levels of atomic dysprosium (Dy) were monitored over an
eight-month period to search for a variation in the fine-structure constant,
$\alpha$. The data provide a rate of fractional temporal variation of $\alpha$
of $(-2.4\pm2.3)\times10^{-15}$ yr$^{-1}$ or a value of $(-7.8 \pm 5.9) \times
10^{-6}$ for $k_\alpha$, the variation coefficient for $\alpha$ in a changing
gravitational potential. All results indicate the absence of significant
variation at the present level of sensitivity. We also present initial results
on laser cooling of an atomic beam of dysprosium.
