Kathryn Moler facts for kids

Kathryn Ann Moler, born around 1966, is an American physicist. A physicist is a scientist who studies how energy and matter work. She is currently the dean of research at Stanford University.

Dr. Moler earned her first degree in 1988 from Stanford University. She then completed her Ph.D. there in 1995. After finishing her studies, she worked as a visiting scientist at IBM's T.J. Watson Research Center. She also held a research position at Princeton University from 1995 to 1998.

In 1998, Dr. Moler joined the faculty at Stanford University. She became a full professor of applied physics and physics. She works at the Geballe Laboratory for Advanced Materials. She also directs the Center for Probing the Nanoscale (CPN). This center helps scientists improve ways to measure and image very tiny things.

Her main research interests include studying how superconductors behave. Superconductors are special materials that can carry electricity with no resistance. She also looks at how tiny structures affect magnetism and electricity.

Discoveries in Physics

Early in her career, Dr. Moler worked with John Kirtley from IBM. They showed that a popular idea about high-temperature superconductivity was not quite right. Their research helped scientists better understand these materials.

In 2011, Dr. Moler's team made an exciting discovery. They put two non-magnetic materials together. At the spot where the materials met, they found something unexpected. This layer had both magnetic and superconducting areas. This was surprising because these two properties usually do not mix.

Superconducting materials normally push away any magnetic fields. This new finding could mean a new type of superconductivity exists. Scientists are now exploring if these properties truly work together. This research could lead to new ways to use these materials.

Leadership at Stanford

In May 2018, Dr. Moler was given an important leadership role. She was named vice provost and dean of research at Stanford University. She started this position on September 1, 2018. In this role, she helps guide all the research happening at the university.

Awards and Honors

Dr. Moler has received many awards for her important work. These awards recognize her contributions to physics and teaching.

• Member of the U. S. National Academy of Sciences
• Carrington Award for Excellence in Research and Teaching
• Stanford Centennial Teaching Assistant
• William L. McMillan Award for outstanding contributions in condensed matter physics
• Packard Fellowship
• Leigh Page Prize Lecturer at Yale University
• R.H. Dicke Postdoctoral Fellowship at Princeton University
• Frederick Terman Fellowship
• Alfred P. Sloan Research Fellowship
• Richtmyer Memorial Award 2011
• NSF CAREER Award