Gateway Science Museum

Spring 2021

boeing satellite in orbit

Physicists help design satellites, like this one from Boeing.

An Interview with Mrs. Jill Stoddard, Physicist

by Jackie Howland

Women’s History Month is a great reminder of how far we’ve come in a relatively short time! Not so long ago, women couldn’t become scientists simply because of unfair limitations. Despite their intelligence and skills; they had to have a male mentor. Now, though, anyone can grow up to be a scientist!

Of course, it helps to be really smart and driven, as Mrs. Jill Stoddard is. In case you’re not sure of what physicists do, as I wasn’t, they study the ways various forms of matter and energy interact. Time can enter the picture as well – yes, time is relevant!

Mrs. Stoddard lives and works (from home) right here in Chico. She was gracious enough to grant me an interview. Here’s what she had to say about herself and her answers to my questions. And just so you know, this interview was conducted via email to maintain social distance: we were Covid-19 compliant.

 

From Mrs. Stoddard:

Firstly, here is a brief biography:

I was born and went to school in Los Angeles (San Pedro, to be exact.) I was the oldest daughter of a middle-class family; we had a very happy life but certainly did not have money. There were times where I felt that I lacked what I wanted and needed so I promised myself that I would carve out a path that would allow a certain level of wealth. (I believe the exact thought was, “When I grow up, I want to buy brand name cookies!”) 

My younger sister was a very fussy and demanding baby and my parents were required to dedicate a great portion of their time to her. That being said, I began learning at two years of age how to do things for myself… and took immense pride in it. I became very observant and attentive to what people did and said… mainly so I could emulate… ha, ha. I was a quirky little kid, gangly, with giant, crooked teeth. I looked like anything BUT a scientist. 

I was in gifted programs, focusing on math and science. I was high school Valedictorian and went on to get my BS in Physics at UCLA and then my MS in Applied Physics at Caltech (California Institute of Technology.) At UCLA, I was awarded the Kinsey Award and the Chancellor’s Scholar award (the first student from the Physics department to win as it requires achievement in all areas of study). I started my career as a Physicist on communication satellites at Hughes Space and Communications (later Boeing Satellite Systems) and gradually found myself in a hybrid IT/Engineering role later in my career. I did code development for satellite rotation programs and then branched into Sales systems (mainly for the social aspect… I love to socialize. Ha, ha). During this time, I did a lot of world travelling and adopted a little girl from Russia. I met and married my husband almost seven years ago. 

 (These are her answers to my questions)

  1. When did you become interested in science?

Quite honestly, it is almost as if science found me. I went to school in a small port town called San Pedro, California. I was an average little girl in third grade when an ambitious teacher enrolled all of us in a national math contest. Unexpectedly to all people, I won. People were in disbelief that this little eight-year-old GIRL from public school took top honors… and I was fortunate to have a school principal who took genuine interest in my wellbeing. He called me into his office, had me read from various upper level text books (one was called, “Serendipity”… which I find so appropriate), and he determined that I should be in a gifted program. He called my parents, and my mother, who had full confidence in me, gave her permission to place me in a gifted Math/Science magnet school. While there, I was introduced to so many fantastic mathematical and scientific concepts. The world had opened for me.

  1. Did you have role models or science heroes and if so, who were they?

My heroine was Marie Curie. I did a book report on her and was absolutely fascinated by her determination and level of accomplishment. I even went so far as to dress as her at Halloween, with my own little rendition of radium. Needless to say, nobody knew who I was supposed to be. Ha, ha.

  1. What kinds of early achievements helped you gain confidence in your ability to pursue science?

After winning the math contest and entering the special school, I was active in and won various science fairs… at the County and State levels. As I received recognition, I felt more confident in my abilities. You must remember that I came from a position of being just an average little kid, so receiving any kind of award gave me increasing confidence. The science fairs also introduced the concept of scientific method and study… and I adopted this cadence in my approach to learning. I actually got to the point of believing that I could eventually understand anything should I put my mind and method to it.

  1. What challenges did you face in achieving your educational and/or career goals?

I always like to say that my biggest challenge was: GEOMETRY. I coasted along in my education until I hit the dreaded class. I was simply stumped and discouraged. It was the first time that I couldn’t grasp the subject matter easily. I struggled and struggled through it… determined but still questioning if I was really a “math person” anymore. (It was then that I learned to be my own advocate and cheerleader… and to apply as much study as necessary, knowing that I WOULD EVENTUALLY get it. I also learned that everybody hits a snag… it does not define your talent but is simply just a small obstacle to overcome.) Second to that, there was a lot of “proving myself”, particularly at the university level, as a woman in science. I had a Quantum Mechanics professor at UCLA who was an old man, a student of Einstein, who did not believe that I fairly achieved the best grade on the first midterm. He proceeded to call me up and make me sit in front of him for the second midterm. I scored the highest on that one, as well. He then called me into his office to apologize, asserting that he was just surprised that a “young lady” came out on top. 

This same professor later nominated me for the Kinsey Award (which I later received). So, I always felt that I had taught him a lesson. This scenario tended to repeat itself … with older male executives questioning my abilities and me having to go over and above to prove them wrong. It wasn’t that they were rude but it was the culture at the time. I took it in stride as normalcy… which is hard to believe in today’s times.

  1. What advice would you give to young people going into science?

My biggest word of advice … open your mind and do not be intimidated. Sometimes concepts seem too great to comprehend… but it may just require a little extra effort and thought. ALSO, believe in yourself. Don’t expect your parents or teachers to always hold your hand … it will be up to you to apply yourself, to study, to embrace opportunities that come your way. STAY FEARLESS. 

  1. What kinds of things can parents, teachers, and others involved in children’s lives do to help them, especially girls, generate and/or maintain their interest in science?

I HIGHLY recommend that parents start out by playing cards and board games with their children, from an early age. My mother did this with my sister and me and we were able to develop logic and reasoning skills, strategy, mathematics, vocabulary … a whole gamut of concepts. Moreover, children learn behavioral skills that lend well to further pursuits. You learn determination… and most importantly, how to both win and lose well. I had an advantage over other students in school because of this exposure. When you feel confident about your learning abilities, you are more open to subject matters… everything becomes a puzzle to solve.

  1. Obviously science is super interesting to you, but what kinds of things do you do when you want to take a break from it?

Unfortunately for the world and those around me, I take interest in almost everything. Ha, ha. I am a very inquisitive person. I spend a lot of time on documentaries, mostly focusing on law and history. I am also a music aficionado and consider myself to be an EXPERT (my husband may disagree on this one. Ha, ha). In fact, I met my husband over a discussion of 80s music! I also play the piano… albeit not well anymore. I spend a lot of time on fitness and the gym... my husband and I are both committed to it, and my daughter is a dedicated athlete. I also love to travel and spend time with my husband, daughter and dogs (who are spoiled and completely untrained).

  1. Anything else you’d like to add?

I DO feel compelled to reveal some guilty pleasures, though, as proof that I am not a complete NERD : reality TV, tamales, candy/cookies/anything sweet, walking/hiking, COFFEE, talking (I say this as it is truly sport for me. Ha, ha).

All I can add is, wow! It’s just so cool that we have such amazing people in our world and right here in Chico. I really want to thank Mrs. Stoddard for being so generous with her time and I’m sure everyone at Gateway echoes my gratitude. It truly is a case of serendipity that I had a connection to her and could help bring her story to our audience. Thank you, Jill!