Experience

National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center (NERSC)
• United States
• Research Services
• 1 - 100 Employee
• Big Data Architect

  • 2013 - Present


Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

• Project Scientist

  • 2007 - 2013

  ARIANNA Detector Development Developed software and electronics for ARIANNA, a prototype ultra-high energy radio Cherenkov neutrino detector currently deployed on the Ross Ice Shelf in Antarctica. Analyzed data and identified several classes of repeating, pathological events and assisted in tracing them back to their source. Wrote robust, long-running software to control station electronics and archive data during deployment on the remote ice shelf. Gathered and assessed station data in real time to make crucial operational decisions during the short (~1 month) period when station communication was possible. IceCube Data Analysis Identified cosmic ray air shower events in IceCube neutrino detector data containing muons with a high transverse momentum against a background of ~6 billion events (7.5 TB). Generated first measurements of muon separation in cosmic rays out to hundreds of meters (ten times further than previous measurements) a result with strong implications for cosmic ray composition and cosmic ray simulation. Developed new algorithms using clustering routines to identify two track events in three dimensions. Modified existing simulation code to quickly generate a simulation sample for developing selection algorithms for high transverse momentum events. Analyzed large volumes of data and generated large volumes of long-running simulation. Elected as junior member of IceCube Collaboration Board to represent postdoctoral members of the collaboration. Mentored graduate students. Computational Physics Wrote C++ code that calculates electromagnetic cross sections at ultra high energies relevant to radio detection of the highest energy neutrinos. Results have been published in Physical Review D. Demonstrated that showers from the highest energy neutrinos are an order of magnitude smaller than previous calculations. Included new effects in bremsstrahlung cross section and demonstrated that previously ignored interactions play a stronger role than thought. Show less



UC Irvine

• United States
• Higher Education
• 700 & Above Employee

• Graduate Researcher

  • 2000 - 2007

  Conducted search with the Antarctic Muon and Neutrino Detector Array (AMANDA) for ultra high energy neutrinos with energies against a background of muon showers from cosmic rays. Analyzed three years of data to generate the most stringent limit on neutrino flux at these energies to date. Results are published in The Astrophysical Journal.Studied detector response in previously unexplored ultra-high energy region.Developed experimental background rejection procedures utilizing neural net and minimization software.Created new Monte Carlo detector simulation code and modified existing code to incorporate effectsspecific to this analysis.Compiled and maintained detector geometry and photon response data. Verified detector simulation response for high energy laser calibration blasts. Show less

• Teaching Assistant

  • 2000 - 2007