Julia Phillips (physicist)

Julia Phillips (born 1948) is an American solid-state physicist known for her research in thin films and interfaces. She is a prominent advocate for STEM education and for increasing the participation of women and minorities in science and engineering fields.

Phillips earned her B.S. in mathematics from Yale University in 1970 and her Ph.D. in applied physics from Yale in 1973. Her doctoral work focused on the behavior of amorphous semiconductors.

After completing her Ph.D., Phillips joined Bell Laboratories (later Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs). During her 34-year career there, she conducted research on a wide variety of materials science topics, including high-temperature superconductors, ferroelectric thin films, and the growth and characterization of semiconductor heterostructures. She made significant contributions to understanding the relationship between the microstructure of thin films and their physical properties.

Phillips is a Fellow of the American Physical Society, the American Association for the Advancement of Science, and the Association for Women in Science. She served as President of the American Physical Society in 2015. In this role, she championed initiatives to address the underrepresentation of women and minorities in physics.

Following her retirement from Bell Labs in 2008, Phillips became actively involved in promoting STEM education and diversity. She has served on numerous advisory boards and committees focused on science policy and education. Her advocacy extends to improving the climate for women and minorities in scientific workplaces and fostering a more inclusive scientific community.