A scientist who studies how energy moves at the nanoscale is rare. And so is a musician who conceptualizes, composes and produces an entire rock album on their own. But you know what’s even rarer? Someone who can do both!
Originally from Oregon, Dr. James Utterback is a postdoctoral scholar in the Department of Chemistry at UC Berkeley. When he’s not in his laboratory, he plays the guitar, bass, various percussion instruments and sings. In fact, earlier this year, he released his first complete album, called The Fiery Surf, on Spotify and other platforms.
“I’ve been writing rock music since I was in middle school. When I was an undergrad, I started conceptualizing this album. It followed me right up to my postdoc - because the academic life keeps you so busy - and after 12 years of working on it, I finally released it,” he said.
Click here to listen to Dr. Utterback’s rock album!
According to Dr. Utterback, he has been able to juggle his passion for science and his love for music by being patient. “I really care about doing well in my career and so I’ve often put music on the back burner, especially before my dissertation or when trying to publish a paper. But by being patient and sticking with my music for many years, I’ve been able to balance and do both.”
Music and science appear to be two fields that are poles apart. But Dr. Utterback has found significant similarities. For example, learning how to be independent and work on long-term projects as an academic gave him the confidence to do the same with his music. Further, both his research and music allow him to express his individuality, he said.
In his research work, he is using pump-probe microscopy to study nanoscale energy transport. “This is important for a broad range of applications, such as solar energy. How energy moves at the small length scales will determine overall efficiency,” Dr. Utterback explained.
After nearly four years at UC Berkeley, Dr. Utterback will move to Paris early next year to continue his academic work as a researcher at CNRS (French National Center for Scientific Research).