I'm just a grad student trying to make a small contribution to science. Small for one man, of course. But a great leap for humanity. More seriously, I'm currently involved in testing detectors for HGCAL experiment in LHC and am starting to learn data analysis techniques used in the CMS experiment. Why am I here? First, I love physics. Second, I believe there was nothing more important in human history than the realization that everything in the world obeys precise mathematical rules, also called ‘the laws of physics'. In the past I was an engineer and an artist, painting and making sculptures. These days in my spare time I do BJJ and dabble in philosophy of science and free will.

ykazhyka@ttu.edu

My work at APD is focused on the HGCAL Module Assembly, where I'm responsible for developing and maintaining the code that controls the equipment used for calibration and assembly of the modules. I'm also working on a data analysis project focused on VBF diboson production. What is interesting about it is that there are angular correlations that can be explored with machine learning algorithms, increasing our sensitivity. I'm also a MC contact for the SUS group, where I'm responsible for receiving the analyzer's requests for monte carlo samples and prepare them for CMS's central generation. 

G.Hamilton.Machado@ttu.edu

I am a graduate student within the TTU Physics department's High energy physics group. My interests currently focus on Data analysis, and I am looking to branch into hardware. For the data analysis, I have done research on why reconstruction of simulated events is not functioning properly. I have also been working with the Jet/Met validation group, which was established to observe changes made to CMSSW releases and when updates and improvements are made. During the next year, we will begin doing validations that result from new data collected by CMS.

amankel@ttu.edu

I am Odin Schneider, born in Lubbock and majoring in professional physics and mathematics. At the APD lab I work with Monte Carlo simulations, machine learning and 3D prints, designing hardware for our detectors. I joined the group at CERN to test new electronics and detector designs. Before coming to Texas Tech I went to high school in Germany. Outside of class, I enjoy cycling and often undertake bikepacking trips.

odin.schneider@ttu.edu

My name is Julian Sewell and I'm from Canyon, Texas. I am a fourth year undergraduate at TTU studying math and physics. So far at the APD lab, I have done work with printed circuit board design and machine learning algorithm studies. I have also done a lot of work developing code for the ROOT software developed by CERN. Outside of my research and studying, I enjoy hobbies such as reading, playing guitar, or skateboarding.

julsewel@ttu.edu

I was born and raised in Lubbock, Texas, and am currently an undergraduate at TTU majoring in physics with a professional concentration. I became a member of the APD Lab in the spring of 2023. My responsibilities include assisting with the detectors and developing code for data analysis. I am passionate about High Energy physics and envision a future working in this field. In my leisure, I enjoy 3D modeling and printing gadgets. Additionally, I enjoy reading, primarily focusing on physics and cosmology literature.

xadelash@ttu.edu

I am James Cash, a master's student in mathematics with a specialization in machine learning and neural network architectures. At the APD, I work with the designated ML group to perform AI analysis of sensor data. Aside from academics, I enjoy playing and teaching classical piano and investigating musical harmony.

jamcash@ttu.edu

I am Harold Anžej Margeta-Cacace and I lived most of my life in Alexandria, Virginia before coming to Texas Tech to pursue undergraduate degrees in mathematics and physics (and now a master's in mathematics as well). I joined the APD lab in the summer of 2023 and have spent most of my time working on energy reconstruction of calorimeter data through machine learning. More recently, I have also been doing signal analysis of photon pulses produced in optical fibers. In my free time, I enjoy participating in all things related to music, whether that be production, songwriting, or simply jamming with others on my electric bass.

hmargeta@ttu.edu

My name is Miles Harris, I was born near Dallas Texas, and I am majoring in professional physics at Texas Tech. I joined the APD-Lab in November of 2023. At the lab, I started with testing silicon sensors and I will continue this work in the coming months. I am passionate about high-energy physics and hope to research in this area later in life. In my free time, I like to read books from physics to historical fiction, and I also like to play basketball.

mileshar@ttu.edu

I am Abhinav Raj Gupta, an international student from Nepal majoring in Computer Science at Texas Tech. I have been a part of the APD Lab since October 2022. Currently, I work with Dr. Kamal Lamichhane and Dr. Nural Akchurin on Quality Control of Silicon Particle Detectors, whereby we use object detection technique to find anomalies in the Silicon detectors. I have enjoyed my work so far in the APD Lab, and I am grateful to all my professors and supervisors who gave me this opportunity to learn, grow, and develop. In my free time, I usually play Soccer, Cricket, and Tennis to stay on top of my physical fitness. I also love watching crime thriller and horror movies in my free time.

abhinav.gupta@ttu.edu

I am from Roma, Texas and graduated from Roma High School in 2017. I came to Texas Tech University in the Fall of 2017 to acquire a degree in physics and gain research experience. In the Spring of 2018, I joined the High Energy Physics (HEP) at TTU and started working on the Muon Tomography Project under Dr. Kunori and Dr. Akchurin. In my free time I usually do one of the following: play video games, learn about what is going on in the computer hardware space, or learn about the lore of specific videogame/movie franchises. I take part in e-sports and speed running when time permits.

cristobal.moreno@ttu.edu

Alumni

2023

• Clive Binu, B.S. (2023), Ph.D. Student at RIT (Astrophysics)

2022

• Madison Howard, B.S. (2022), Ph.D. Student at Caltech (Particle Physics)
• Katrina Webb, B.S. (2022), Ph.D. Student at TTU
• Victor Bradley, B.S. (2022), Ph.D. Student at TTU (Condensed Matter)
• Alan Chavez, B.S. (2022), Embedded Systems Engineer at Skylark Wireless

2021

• Tielige Mengke, Ph.D. (2021), Software Scientist, UT-Southwestern
• Samila Muthumuni, Ph.D. (2021)
• Sadman Ahmed Shanto, B.S. (2021), Ph.D. Student at USC (Quantum Computing)
• Samuel Cano, B.S. (2021), Ph.D. Student at UArk (Space and Planetary Sciences) 
• Mohammad Moosajee, B.S. (2021), Associate Systems Engineer at Saab, Inc

2020

• Zhixing Wang (Tyler), Ph.D. (2020), Software Engineer at Google
• Raul Perez, B.S. (2020), PhD Student at TTU  (Electrical Engineering)
• William Braun, B.S. (2020)

2019

• William Milestone, B.S. (2019), PhD Student at TTU  (Electrical Engineering)
• Federico De Guio, Postdoctoral Reseach Fellow (2015-2019), Assistant Professor at University of Milan