Julia and Hans Weertman: A legacy of scholarship, mentorship, and lives well-lived
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Julia and Hans Weertman: A legacy of scholarship, mentorship, and lives well-lived By Sonal Rangnekar and Riley Hanus
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onducting careful experiments, creating a “builder culture,” and making good, well-characterized samples that were shared with collaborators around the globe. These were part of Julia Weertman’s MO, as described by former graduate student Paul Sanders (now the Patrick Horvath Endowed Associate Professor of Materials Science and Engineering at Michigan Technological University) at the Symposium in Honor and Remembrance of Johannes (Hans) and Julia Weertman, held November 16 in Evanston, Ill. The
Weertmans’ eagerness to publish and their perception of publishing as a dialogue, their stature as role models, and their mentorship of others were common themes among the many speakers honoring them at the event. Friends, family, former students, and colleagues traveled from as far away as Japan and Switzerland to share their fond remembrances of Julia and Hans. Technical talks highlighted their contributions to materials science, particularly dislocation theory and the mechanical
Guests shared stories and fond memories at the Symposium in Honor and Remembrance of Johannes (Hans) and Julia Weertman, November 16, 2018, Evanston, Ill.
properties of metals, but also geophysics and glaciology. Many speakers described themselves as part of the Weertmans’ extended family, connected by experimental results and holiday cards depicting Santa Fe. In addition to discussions about science, students and colleagues remembered group dinners at the Weertmans’ residence, trips to Doc Watson concerts and Chicago jazz bars, and social visits that continued long after their theses had been signed. From these anecdotes emerged a picture of MRS Fellow and Von Hippel awardee Julia Weertman that was vivid enough for graduate students who had never met her to be in awe of her personal fortitude and professional accomplishments. Julia modestly described the 1960s as a period when she focused on “raising our two children,” though she co-authored several seminal papers with Hans and published their popular textbook, Elementary Dislocation Theory, which has become an indispensable text in the field of materials microstructure. Taking it upon herself to be a guiding light for younger women in science, Julia recruited and trained a large number of female students. She adeptly navigated the male-dominated scientific community, learning to reject secretarial positions on scientific committees and instructing her female protégés to avoid leadership that would only lead to “Service Awards.” Carolyn Aita, distinguished professor emeritus, University of Wisconsin– Milwaukee, remembered Julia’s “inescapable” mentorship. She was the go-to person for professional decisions, and her story empowered her students to balance family and career. According to Bill Nix, Stanford University, she became a mentor for his female students. Julia commonly
Sonal Rangnekar and Riley Hanus, Northwestern University, USA. Riley Hanus is the 2018 Johannes and
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