people

The Universities Research Association recognizes Fermilab scientist Laura Fields for her contributions to the field of accelerator-based neutrino physics. She co-leads the MINERvA experiment, which is making measurements necessary for tuning models of neutrino interactions used in ongoing and future neutrino experiments, and helped design a new focusing system for Fermilab’s LBNF neutrino beam.

A Ph.D. student at the Illinois Institute of Technology conducting his research at Fermilab, Bafia is currently researching a method to draw maximum performance from acceleration cavities. The method, called nitrogen doping, increases superconducting radio-frequency cavity efficiency and boosts beams to higher energies over shorter distances. His work earned him the Best Student Poster Prize at the 2019 International Particle Accelerator Conference.

A dynamic duo at CERN is planting seeds to foster physics research in Nepal. Like many students in Nepal, they moved abroad to pursue the best higher education opportunities. Now, they are using their unique experiences working at CERN to bring some of these opportunities back to his home country.

With the honorary membership, Charles is recognized for her “lifelong mentorship and sacrifices on behalf of NSBP.” The National Society of Black Physicists is the largest and most recognizable organization of physicists that promotes the professional excellence and success of African Americans.

Konstantinos Iakovidis was training in Greece’s Hellenic Army in May 2008 when his younger brother, George, was accepted into the CERN summer student program. When George told Konstantinos he had been invited to move to Switzerland for two months, he cried — and encouraged him to take the opportunity. Little did Konstantinos know that six years later, he would make his own journey to CERN and would eventually join his physicist brother on the same project, as a mechanical engineer.

The prize recognizes Shiltsev’s outstanding contributions in the area of synchrotron colliders, hadron colliders and leadership in the accelerator community. He was presented with the prize at IPAC 2019, the International Particle Accelerator Conference.

Rakshya Khatiwada is an experimental astrophysicist at Fermilab working on dark matter searches and quantum science. When she’s not developing the newest detectors to look for dark matter, Khatiwada makes a point to engage with the next generation of scientists through informal lunches, talks and webinars.

From The Adler ‘Scope, May 15, 2019: Fermilab scientist Jessica Esquivel is one of about 150 Black women in history to obtain her Ph.D. in physics. She talks with Adler Planetarium about the obstacles she faced in being a minority in physics, neutrinos and science outreach.

Fermilab’s Asian and Pacific American community is one of a number of lab resource groups that strive to promote diversity and inclusion. Fermilab scientist Bo Jayatilaka and engineer Yun He talk about this community and what it means to foster an inclusive and diverse environment.

From Physics World, April 23, 2019: Fermilab Archivist Valerie Higgins discusses how the contributions of support staff should not be forgotten when it comes to celebrating scientific breakthroughs. Modern scientific research is often conducted through large organizational structures and thousands of participants. For archivists and others interested in the history of scientific research, developing a complete picture requires an understanding not only of the work that scientists and technical staff do but also the contributions of support staff too.