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DR. JILL
GOLDBERG By: Karrie Sue Hawbaker, editor Recently, I had the opportunity to speak with Dr. Jill Goldberg (Ph.D., 1992) who was kind enough to share with me some of her experiences in her journey since UM Physics -- from research and teaching to software engineering and entrepreneurship to her current work with health care management technology. Dr. Jill Goldberg began her pursuit of higher education at Wellesley College, where she majored in physics and in mathematics - two areas of study that had intrigued her since she was a child. She very much enjoyed the close community and academically nurturing environment of a small college. The all-female student body removed many of the tensions common in a co-educational classroom and the many women faculty (about 50 percent) served as positive role models and mentors. After graduating from Wellesley in 1985, Dr. Goldberg decided to come to the University of Maryland for her graduate work in physics. She says the quality of the graduate program and the University's location -- so close to government laboratories and world-class facilities - were both attractors. But, she primarily credits the breadth of research areas for her decision to come to Maryland. Since she was not 100 percent certain of the specific area of physics she wanted to explore during her graduate studies, she liked the idea of having so many options. The transition from small liberal arts college to large research university was a bit daunting at first and, like most new students, she was nervous. However, the confidence and critical thinking skills that she gained at Wellesley helped her get through the initial adjustment and the long hours of preparation for the qualifier exam. Soon, she had developed a strong support system of friends and colleagues, including her advisor and mentor Distinguished University Professor Ellen Williams. After two years of valuable experience as
a teaching assistant, Dr. Goldberg began working with Dr. Williams in
condensed matter physics, specifically surface science. She found Dr.
Williams to be an excellent mentor and the experience to be very rewarding.
She especially liked that working in the lab gave her the opportunity
to do so many different aspects of science. In addition to data analysis
and understanding the physics results of her experiments, she was able
to learn the other aspects of experimental physics like machining, electronics
and computer programming. Essentially, she became a "jack-of-all-trades"
for physics. By1992, she had gathered these experiences together to
form her thesis "Statistical Mechanics of Steps on Si(111) Studies
Using Scanning Tunneling Microscopy," which earned her a Ph.D.
in Physics from the University of Maryland. Then, Dr. Goldberg was offered a tenure-track position at Colorado College, a small liberal arts college. She set up a small scanning probe microscopy laboratory there and involved several students in her research. She also dedicated her time to teaching. Colorado College operated on a "Block Plan" calendar that divides the year into eight blocks, in each of which students (and professors) focus on only one course. This system, which is rather rare in higher education, had both positive and negative attributes. While Dr. Goldberg found the sciences rather difficult to teach under this system, she recognized that it was beneficial for some students who had difficulty juggling 4-5 classes and it did force professors to be very creative with their curriculums. After three years of teaching, an experience that she found very valuable, Dr. Goldberg felt inclined to try something different - something outside the familiar world of academia. So, she took a leave of absence from Colorado College to try out the alleged "real world," otherwise known as private industry. After a year of doing software development for MCI, she decided that she preferred industry to the teaching/research of academia. She believes the problem-solving skills that she acquired and developed studying physics at both the undergraduate and graduate level are necessary for both career paths. However, in industry, the problem solving is often on a larger scale. She found the sense of project completion and "big picture" thinking more rewarding than the very detailed work on a very small part of the overall project. For that reason, she continued in industry, even after she moved a year and a half later. After moving to the Ann Arbor area, Dr. Goldberg
held a few software engineering positions similar to her job at MCI.
Then, when the opportunity to try her hand as an entrepreneur, she decided
to give that a try. Along with four other partners, she founded Cognitive
Bionics, a technology startup company. The five partners, all of whom
had both academic and industrial experience, took part in every facet
of the business, from the technical work and business operations to
marketing and business development. Dr. Goldberg very much enjoyed this
setup and found it to be a very interesting experience, especially the
way the partners leaned on each other's strengths to make an extremely
effective team. Cognitive Bionics was successful for several years.
However, when the technology industry hit tough economic times, they
decided to end the venture positively and sell the business. Dr. Goldberg has enjoyed quite the variety of career experiences. While her most recent adventures fall outside the traditional realm of physics careers, she definitely uses her physics education every day, especially in the form of problem-solving. In fact, she believes problem-solving and analytical thinking are some of the most important skills one can learn and that they apply to all sorts of careers, especially those in the fields of science and technology. When asked if she had any advice for our student readers, she recommended that you find something that you like, even if it is different than what you have been doing for many years or what you always thought you would do. Don't be afraid to try something different, even if you had never considered anything else before. Essentially, she says "You're not stuck." The Department of Physics sincerely thanks Dr. Goldberg for her time and her insight. We wish her the best of luck in her current work and in whatever turn she may take next! _______________________________________________________ Any readers who have questions for Dr. Goldberg may email the editor. She will be happy to pass the message along. |
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