I am currently a graduate student in the physics and astronomy department at Texas Tech University, having earned my MS from Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad, Pakistan. For my MS project, I worked on the study of the matrix element for single top quark produced in association with the Z-boson using MadGraph. The TqZ signal region was considered along with two dominant backgrounds (ttbar and WZ). I am now working on the fiber R&D, which includes the study of radiation-hardness of cerium-doped fused-silica fibers. I love to play cricket as it keeps me fresh and physically fit.

adil.hussain@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 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 am Odin Schneider, a first year born in Lubbock and majoring in professional physics and mathematics. At the APD lab I work with Monte Carlo simulations and 3D prints, designing hardware for our muon detector. Before coming to Texas Tech I went to high school in Germany, finishing my Abitur and gathering international experience. Here I balance my STEM interests with endeavors in philosophy and ethics. In my free time I stay active physically with Judo and Volleyball. Mentally, I stretch my brain by playing chess from time to time.

odin.schneider@ttu.edu

I am Utsav Dhakal. I am an international student from Nepal majoring in Chemical Engineering. Currently, I am a senior. Before coming to Tech, I was at a community college in Houston (Lone Star College-Montgomery) and before that, I was at Valparaiso University in Indiana. So, I have moved a lot. I have a keen interest in martial arts and soccer. I started working at the APD lab the Fall of 2021. I work in the Hardware Development department.

udhakal@ttu.edu

Hi, I am from Kerala, India. I am a junior undergraduate majoring in astrophysics with a math minor. I have been fascinated by space, the universe, the galaxies, and the science behind these from a young age. I saw Stephen Hawking and Albert Einstein as my role models and always wanted to be a scientist. I always loved physics and wanted to try to learn more about it whenever I get a chance to do so. Initially, I was working as a Student Research Assistant at the pulsed power energy lab for about a year and some of my projects were on frequency selective surface [FSS] and high-speed semiconductor switch [HSS]. I shifted to Advanced Particle Detector (APD) Lab, in the summer of 2021 and I am working on the Tomography Project. In my free time, I either play racquetball or soccer, play video games, watch videos on tech/watch tv-series.

clive.binu@ttu.edu

I joined the TTU HEP group in Spring 2021. Despite my short time here, I am extremely passionate about the work we do here. I have greatly enjoyed my time here at the lab and I have taken a lot from it. As far as work, I mostly worked on Prototype 2B testing during the semester, as well as some code for analysis. At the moment, I'm learning Monte Carlo simulations and hope to return to doing more general programming when I return to campus in the Fall.

gchisele@ttu.edu

Hi, my name is Tim Ramos! Originally from Lubbock, I am an undergraduate majoring in Electrical Engineering at Texas Tech University and am doing research here at the APD lab under the mentorship of Dr. Whitbeck. The beginning of my research was about exploring the nature of scintillators by creating simulations and taking light measurements to better understand signal pulses through data analysis. Now, our research focuses on the designing and assembly of the electronics that are used in these scintillation experiments where we implement both UART and I2C to communicate with the electronics. Aside from research, I like to read books, work out, and listen to music.

timothy.c.ramos@ttu.edu

Alumni

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