Interview

Jill: Thank you for having me on.

Interviewer: So what got you into first interested in science?

Interviewer: So what do you do?

Jill: Well, UNF has given me an eight year grant to study Elemental Energy Physics, which… its sorta hard to explain but basically I look at atoms, how they work and how atoms effect each other in different environments. I also do a bit of teaching as required in my contract.

Interviewer: You teach physics?

Jill: No, I wish, no I teach organic chemistry.

Interviewer: How do you enjoy that?

Jill: Ummm… its ok… the students remind me of the cats at my house

Interviewer: Cats?

Jill: Example. Where I live there are a lot of stray cats. I don’t really like them.. at all but no one feeds them and I feel morally obligated to feed them. Now I have dozens on cats at my door everyday waiting to be fed. I don’t like them but I feed them. My students I am not fond of but I feel morally obligated to teach them. Sorry that’s not very nice but its true.

Interviewer: I guessing growing up you didn’t have cats or siblings.

Jill: Yes, no pets, no siblings. I am what some people would call an “army brat or navy brat” in my case. My child hood was mostly spent on navy bases. I don’t think we spent or then a few months in any place. My father was in Navy Operations for several years then was promoted to an Admiral and serves as the director of Naval Nuclear Propulsion.

Interviewer: And your mother?

Jill: My mother was an art collector and dealer for the Metropolitan Museum of Fine Art but left it when I was young do to the high stress of moving around so much. I think she’s on the board of directors now though.

Interviewer: So what was your favorite place you lived?

Jill: London. I was there once or twice growing up and loved it so much I got my BA, MA and started my PhD there.

Interviewer: Why did you leave?

Jill: long pause… When I was in college I was a bit of a rebel… it was time to move on UNF offered me this grant and it seemed like the perfect opportunity to return to my homeland and create a new life.

Interviewer: How do you like the states so far?

Jill: I’ve been here for 2… wait no 3 years, gosh. Yeah I like it. It’s nice to finally have a place I can call home. I finally have my own lab which I like.

Interviewer: Other than work what do you like to do for fun?

Jill: Other than work haha… ummm I read, I do yoga, I’m really into tea…. I have a small lab at home I plan around it. I also am a bit of a mixologist, I could have been a bartender in my former life. Other than that… I go hunting every now and then, sometimes with my father.

Interviewer: So late at night in the lab what do you like to much on the most?

Jill: Mix drinks

Interviewer: What is the best part of the work you do, the part that gives you the most satisfaction? Conversely what is the downside of your work?

Jill: I really enjoy experimentation, high reactions, explosions, anything that is big or loud. Downside, the teaching, and the people I work with are boring.

Interviewer: What is the coolest thing about science?

Jill: It is what makes up everything, it decodes what is around us so we can better understand it.

Interviewer: Well that’s all the time we have. Thank you so much for you time Jill.

Jill: It was my pleasure