Julia Greer is a materials scientist creating next-generation nanomaterials for space exploration at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech) in Pasadena. In August, she added an early-career faculty grant from NASA to her growing list of awards, and she will soon find out if she has secured tenure. Greer hopes that tenure will allow her to spend more time playing the piano — and exploring a new research direction.

You went back and forth between graduate studies at Stanford University in California and a job at Intel. How did that come about?

Credit: BOB PAZ

I applied late to Stanford, and was accepted, but they could not guarantee funding. So I worked for an adjunct faculty member who had Intel funding to build an X-ray diffractometer. Unfortunately, things ended poorly when he lost funding and criticized my work. I ended up working at Intel for two years.

How did those transitions affect your career?

I came into my own at Intel. I learned to champion my own work and became a self-starter. I stayed there until my husband finished his PhD, then I decided not to let one bad experience limit me, so I returned to Stanford to do my PhD with materials scientist William Nix. It was the most meaningful experience in my life. Using nanopillars, we demonstrated that when you reduce the dimensions of a metallic nanocrystal, it becomes stronger — a phenomenon known as smaller, stronger. That sparked a revolution, with many groups starting to make nanopillars out of gold.

Were you set on getting an academic post?

I had never really considered it, but a professor at Caltech encouraged me to apply for a faculty position. Several people said I had no chance because I would be competing against others who had done postdoc work and had a more mature vision. As a result, I totally relaxed. I thought that I would use the interview process to show the world what we have done. I had other faculty interviews, but ended up taking the position at Caltech.

How did you prepare for the position?

I asked that my tenure clock not start until after I had finished my postdoc at the Palo Alto Research Center in California. Caltech was very flexible. While finishing my postdoc, I wrote a proposal for a National Science Foundation Faculty Early Career Development award. I did a lot of preparation, flying to Caltech to figure out how to do outreach and how to demonstrate broader impacts. I got the award just as I started at Caltech in 2007.

Do you get overwhelmed?

Yes, mostly because I have two young kids. Everybody has to work out how not to go crazy. In teaching time, I am more hands-off in the lab. I take time to work out, and I practise the piano every night. Playing relaxes me and makes me more creative scientifically. One personal goal is to enter the Van Cliburn International Piano Competition for amateurs.

Do you have a big lab to meet your needs?

I have a group of 15 people and don't want more. Everyone deserves to have a mentor who is there for them. But I did create subgroups. Instead of meeting students individually, I see them in groups of two or three, based on their projects.

How do you manage students who don't meet expectations?

If I see that something is not working out, I ask if the student is satisfied with their progress. If necessary, I encourage them to consider other advisers. I make sure that these conversations are non-confrontational and that somebody else is in the room as a witness.

How might tenure change your research?

Tenure is not something anybody takes for granted, but it would be liberating. I would be able to pursue much riskier ideas. For example, I am very interested in making materials for biomedical devices. Now that I have helped to create a new direction in nanomechanics, it is time for me to get out. It is not healthy to stay in the same area for too long.