I am a graduate student with a vested interest in new physics' searches and development of novel experimental techniques, particularly as it relates to collider physics. Prior to joining the HEP group here at TTU, my undergraduate years at Johns Hopkins were spent modeling novel Higgs processes at CMS and constraining CP-violation in Higgs-strahlung at the proposed FCC-ee, while also collaborating with researchers from Riga Technical University on precision top quark physics. Currently, I'm working on instrumentation for a dark matter search at Fermilab (DarkQuest), as well as preparing modules for the HGCAL upgrade. Apart from physics, I spend my days running copious amounts of mileage and missing my two dogs back home in Illinois.

vslokenb@ttu.edu

am a graduate student, I got my undergrad at Rutgers University New Jersey where I majored in Physics. I like to Swim, Draw and Cook. In addition, I like to go on long walks to think about stuff. I have always been passionate about physics and learning more about the universe. I hope my research pushes forward our understanding of quantum physics.

akshriva@ttu.edu

My name is Caitlin and I am a first year graduate student hoping to learn all the physics I can. As an undergraduate, I actually studied chemistry and mathematics, so going to graduate school for physics is all new and exciting. I am currently interested in high energy physics because I am fascinated with understanding and discovering the structure of our universe. Over the summer, I was lucky enough to begin working in the APD lab on the assembly of the new DREAM. Now that the semester has started, I am open to researching whatever comes my way! Woohoo! Physics!

caitlin.tidmore@ttu.edu

I’m a first-year graduate student who is hoping to learn more about Beyond Standard Model Physics as I get further into my graduate career. I was able to work at the APD lab this past Summer with a fellow graduate student, Caitlin Tidmore, where we both got to see what kinds of work is done at the lab. As an undergraduate at Angelo State University, I worked on several projects. Two such projects were taking images of stars around the sun during the latest solar eclipse in an attempt to measure gravitational lensing as well as launching a weather balloon with two charged particle detectors to measure cosmic ray rate with respect to altitude. I also managed to work at CERN as a summer student during the Summer of 2023, which really cemented my interest in High Energy Physics.

gavetter@ttu.edu

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

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

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 Timur Abdilov, junior at Texas Tech University , majoring in Electrical Engineering. My future goal is to work in the field of applied physics, namely photonics and electronics. Here at APD, I am involved in quality assurance for calorimeters for LHC. Everything that has a sign "High Voltage" attracts me, therefore testing glowing hexagons is a lot of fun. I also love to play with hardware, so this experience helps me to grasp fundamentals of high precision scientific electronic device design.

tabdilov@ttu.edu

I am an undergraduate double majoring in Physics and Mathematics at Texas Tech University. My passion for these fields drives my academic journey and informs the quality of my work. Currently, I serve as an undergraduate researcher at the Advanced Particle Detector Laboratory, where I engage in data analysis and contribute to the construction of the DREAM module; I am also involved in the muon tomography project for Queen Maeve's Cairn in Ireland. Personally, I spend a good deal of my free time playing traditional Irish guitar in session music and work with preserving it's legacy in the United States. I also participate in long distance running, competitive soccer, and the Spanish classical guitar.

Michael.ODonnell@ttu.edu

My name is Valentino Barela, I am majoring in Mechanical Engineering at Texas Tech with a minor in mathematics. I began at the Advanced Particle Detection Laboratory March of 2024, doing Computer Assisted Design(CAD) work for the R&D of the HG-DREAM calorimeter. I have contributed to the construction and assembly of multiple parts of the detector as well. In addition I have done quality control testing of the HGCAL Silicon sensors to be implemented on the CMS detector through the HL-LHC endcap upgrade program. Outside of the APD lab, I like to use my 3D printer, fish, and go to the gym.

vabarela@ttu.edu

My name is Harry Brittan and I am a Majoring in Physics with a minor is mathematics and Arabic. At the advanced Particle Detector Laboratory (APD Lab), I work on the construction, calibration and analysis of the DREAM Module as well as working with HGCAL Silicon sensors, in their Quality control testing, to be used in the HL-LHC endcap upgrade program. In my free time, of what there is, I enjoy studying chess, mountain biking, rock climbing, and studying more.

hbrittan@ttu.edu

My name is Elizabeth Veraa and I am an undergraduate double majoring in Physics and Mathematics. At the APD Lab I primarily help run simulations for the DREAM Module as well as testing modules for the HGCAL upgrade. In my free time I enjoy backpacking, reading science fiction, and playing trombone in the basketball pep band here at Tech.

everaa@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 to be used in the HGCal upgrade at CERN for high luminosity expirements. I am currently working on the HG-DREAM colaberation and the early stages of transient current technique (TCT) measurements. 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 an assortment of different kinds of books and be with my freinds and family as much as possible.

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

I'm an Applied Physics major with minors in Mathematics and Atmospheric Sciences at Texas Tech University. I joined the APD-Lab in Fall 2024 where I applied my CAD experience to support R&D for the HG-DREAM project. Since then, I’ve worked on the HG-DREAM Hodoscope and contributed to the Sensor Quality Control campaign for HGCAL. Through this work, I’ve developed a strong interest in detector development and am eager to explore their applications across physical sciences. Outside the lab, I enjoy reading comics, watching movies, going to the gym, and spending time with friends. After graduating in Spring 2028, I dream of pursuing a Ph.D. in physics and conduct research at a national lab.

colnunn@ttu.edu

My name is Zen Leon-Guerrero, I was born in Lubbock Texas and I am a physics major at TTU with a minor in mathematics. My main project at the APD lab is currently assisting with the HG Dream calorimeter. I love physics and would like to continue work in the field of high energy particle physics. In my free time, I coach a wrestling club at a local high school, and enjoy reading up on topics in physics I am not yet familiar with.

zleongue@ttu.edu

Alumni

2024

• Gabi Machado, Graduate Student (2024)
• Julian Sewell, B.S. (2024), Ph.D. Student at Ohio State (Particle Physics)
• Kamal Lamichhane, Postdoc (2024), Staff Scientist at Los Alamos National Laboratory
• Vinay Hegde, Postdoc (2024), Postdoc at Baylor University

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