discovered_01_2013

FOCUS// The HZDR Research Magazine WWW.Hzdr.DE 30 31 // "I love to challenge myself, pose my own questions," says Elizabeth Green. Since the middle of last year, the 28-year-old American physicist is studying the behavior of superconductors at low temperatures and in high magnetic fields at the Dresden High Magnetic Field Laboratory. _TEXT . Sara Schmiedel Florida to Rossendorf LOCAL CONTACT: Elizabeth Green supervises external users and mentors both Ph.D. and diploma students like Johannes Klotz during their research projects. Photo: Oliver Killig Elizabeth Green’s – she actually prefers to go by Liz – main interests include strongly correlated electron systems, quantum mechanics, and magnetic resonance spectroscopy. She also loves to compete in triathlons, plays the violin, and donates her long hair (whenever she gets it cut) to an organization that makes wigs for cancer patients. Plus, she is one of a handful of women in a largely male-dominated scientific discipline. "That’s never been an issue, though, they take me as seriously as the next guy," the young physicist assures us. The light bulb has to go off Liz works in the High Magnetic Field Laboratory as a "local contact" – a scientist whose job it is to advise and help external users with their experimental setup and pulse magnetic fields. In addition, Liz mentors Ph.D. and diploma students who are working on their own research. "I really enjoy it. You learn about all these different techniques and meet these really interesting scientists – which actually helps me to grow, too." And to the junior researcher growing is a top priority. "I’ve no clue where I’m going to end up after my three- year Dresden postdoc stint is up – but I could see myself as a professor someday." Teaching is her thing. She did, after all, set out to become a physics teacher but, after finishing her bachelor’s, decided she was really into the raw science. She ended up getting her Ph.D. at the National High Magnetic Field Laboratory in Tallahassee, Florida, despite the fact that she actually used to hate physics in high school. "I was really trying my best but back then it was difficult for me to grasp the concepts. I ended up getting a bad grade in the class which made me pretty upset." Thanks to "awesome physics professors who had a knack for really breaking things down for me, at one point that proverbial light bulb just happened to go off."

discovered_01_2013

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