Janet Meier: Taking on the challenge

When Janet Meier accepted a postdoctoral position at Oak Ridge National Laboratory in September 2022, she had no idea that just over a year later she would represent ORNL on Capitol Hill at the inaugural National Lab Research SLAM. 

At the SLAM, 17 early career researchers, one from each Department of Energy national lab, contended before a panel of judges and both live and virtual audiences for the title of best lightning talk in their research category. The researchers were challenged to deliver engaging three-minute presentations on aspects of their research, with the intent of highlighting DOE programs and educating policymakers on their impact on national and global challenges.

A metallurgist by trade, currently working in ORNL’s Materials Science and Technology Division, Meier admits that public speaking is not her favorite activity. “Like many, I experience a lot of anxiety when speaking in front of a crowd,” she said. “But it’s easier when I talk science. I get excited about it.”

Meier said the story she shared in her talk is relatable to many audiences. Her presentation highlighted the challenges of using highly in-demand copper conductors in electric vehicles — copper is costly, scarce and heavy.

“In the current environment, everyone wants to know about more sustainable practices, and everyone knows what an electric car is,” Meier said.

Meier’s work involves combining experimental and computational techniques to fine-tune an aluminum-zirconium alloy with small amounts of tin to make a viable and less expensive replacement for copper.

It’s no wonder that Meier’s talk, “Aluminum Will Solve the Conductor Bottleneck,” excited research staff and ORNL leadership when she first shared it last June at ORNL’s Your Science in a Nutshell Lightning Talks, an annual competition the lab has sponsored for postdocs and other early career researchers since 2018. As the 2023 first-place winner, she was nominated to compete at the SLAM.

Meier immediately began to adapt her presentation for a bigger stage. “I practiced three times a day for days at a time. My partner and my cats had to hear my talk so many times I think they could give it,” she said with a laugh.

A bonus turned out to be the extra minute allowed in the national competition. “When you have a short period of time, then you have to be very conscious of what you’re saying. Think about what you do and why it matters. Write it all down, then streamline it,” she said. “But the difference between two minutes and three minutes is massive when it comes to how much you can get into.”

Competitors to colleagues

Following tireless at-home preparation, SLAM competitors arrived in Washington, D.C., two days in advance to practice with their peers as a test audience. The group went all in, providing each other with feedback, and they were able to further hone their presentations based on the advice of others. 

“It was amazing. We all wanted each other to do well,” Meier said. “The collaboration and camaraderie I felt was the best part of the experience.”

Before the competition officially began, Meier and her fellow competitors toured the Capitol Building; met New Mexico Senator Ben Ray Lujan, who is a member of the Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, as well as members of the National Lab Caucuses and the Energy and Water Committee and other science committees; and learned more about how their research might affect policymaking on Capitol Hill.

“I got to see a different side of Congress from what we so often see on TV.” Meier said. “It was clear that the science and energy committees think our work is important.”

On the day of the event, Meier felt nervous but prepared. The venue — the Congressional Auditorium in the Capitol Hill Visitor Center — seats about 400 people, and among the audience were leaders from each of the national laboratories and many congressional staff members. 

“It was a very positive and supportive crowd, full of people who were interested and cared about the science,” Meier said. She added she also appreciated the presence of ORNL Deputy for Science and Technology Susan Hubbard and director of the Office of Research Education, Moody Altamimi,among the spectators.

Taking home the win

Awards for “Best Presentation” were given in four categories — Energy Security, Environmental Resilience, National Security and Scientific Discovery — and determined by a panel of four prestigious judges, including National Academy of Sciences President Marcia McNutt and Deputy Secretary of Energy David M. Turk. 

Meier was honored to accept the award in the Energy Security category, in which she competed against four other national laboratory researchers tasked with pursuing technological solutions to provide clean, abundant, affordable and reliable sources of energy.

Meier recalled being surprised when she was called to receive the award. Though she worked hard and was proud of her presentation, she felt that her competitors had also done well. “There were so many who invested in me and helped me along the way, including those who I was competing against,” she said. “I would have been happy to see any of them take home the trophy. This process really confirmed to me the collaborative nature of science.”

When asked if she will encourage others to compete in next year’s Your Science in a Nutshell at ORNL for the chance to attend the next National Lab Research SLAM, Meier said she would highly recommend it and expects to be involved as a mentor in upcoming iterations. “It’s a style of communication that we don’t practice enough as scientists, researchers and engineers, but it is incredibly important,” she said. “So, I think folks should take on the challenge.”

A recording of the National Lab Research SLAM is available on YouTube. Meier’s talk begins at 1:18:00.

UT-Battelle manages ORNL for DOE’s Office of Science. The single largest supporter of basic research in the physical sciences in the United States, the Office of Science is working to address some of the most pressing challenges of our time. For more information, visit https://energy.gov/science. —Elicia Ferrer