I have been with the sPHENIX collaboration for a year as a postdoctoral research associate with Iowa State University.

What is the focus of your work on the sPHENIX experiment?

I am focusing on hardware and heavy-flavor/jet physics. On the hardware side, I work on the sPHENIX TPC, including the high-voltage and low-voltage systems and the direct laser. On the physics-analysis side, I am working on an analysis measuring the Lambda-c baryon.

Where were you born and what is your educational background before your current position?

I was born in Panama City, Florida. My undergraduate degree is in Mechanical Engineering with a minor in Physics from Georgia Institute of Technology, and I have a M.S. and Ph.D. in Physics from the University of Tennessee Knoxville where my advisor was Christine Nattrass.

What is the title of your Ph.D. or tentative title? Awards or biggest talk highlight?

The title of my dissertation was "Measurement of Jet Constituent Yields in Pb-Pb Collisions at 5.02 TeV Using the ALICE Detector". At the 2019 LHC User's Association Meeting, my talk on the ALICE TPC upgrade was selected as one of the eight best "Lightning round" talks. I recently received a 2023 BNL RHIC & AGS Merit Award for my work on the sPHENIX TPC.

How did you decide to go into heavy ion or spin research?

I had a casual interest in high energy physics from watching pop science tv shows like Science Channel’s “Through the Wormhole” and PBS’ “Elegant Universe”. I learned more about heavy ion physics in particular during the transition from undergrad to grad. I like that heavy ion physics can combine the best of both worlds: studying individual particles to learn more about collective dynamics under extreme conditions. After meeting with Soren Sorensen and Christine Nattrass at the University of Tennessee, I also appreciated how collaborative the heavy ion physics community is.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

I enjoy playing old video games. Some of my favorite games include the original Spyro the Dragon series, Half Life 1, and the first Deus Ex.

Fun fact?

I unironically enjoy the musical stylings of Jimmy Buffett (R.I.P.). My favorite album of his is “Living and Dying in 3/4 Time.”