Women in Research: Julia Craven
Describe your Research Contributions or Interests.
I am honored and humbled to serve as the Director of Engineering at CVI Laser Optics. My most important work is to enable and empower the CVI Engineering Team to bring their best contributions to their work every day. There are many facets to this work, from direct one-on-one conversations with engineers and those that they serve, to championing and obtaining support for the strategic technical needs and capabilities that will make us successful for years to come. When I do this work well, I feel incredibly energized by my ability to be a force multiplier.
I also still get to go roll up my sleeves and contribute in our R&D laser lab (The CVI Spectra Rays Laser Lab!) on the regular, and I especially love these experiences when I can bring someone along with me to learn and grow their technical skills.
Who was your Most Significant Role Model in Science or in your Career?
Most significant is so difficult! I have been fortunate to have many excellent role models. I’m going to approach this question a little differently and call out Katie Schwertz (Edmund Optics) and Krisinda Plenkovich (Free Range, formerly with SPIE). The three of us worked together regularly a few years back, and our 3-person team was a defining collaboration for me in terms of growing me into a passionate, action-oriented leader. Krisinda is more professionally experienced than Katie or me, so she was for me more of the role model from that perspective, but simultaneously having a peer in Katie has always been particularly valuable. There is something special about finding those trusted people in your life that simultaneously support you and challenge you. I wish that relationship for everyone.
What Piece of Advice Would you Like to Pass On?
Just one?!
One of the best perspectives I have ever received was about sticking to the facts versus telling a story that connects between the facts. For example, say this happened to you: Person X, someone you work with, didn’t come to your meeting, and then the next day they didn’t respond to your email, and two days later when you passed them in the hall they didn’t even smile at you. That could lead you to tell a story that Person X is not a team player and has some personal issue with you. But guess what – that’s a total story! Maybe Person X has something going on that has nothing to do with you, and you have zero clue about! Don’t put your emphasis and energy on the story - which may be completely false – instead go talk to Person X, with kindness, about the facts.