I have been working in sPHENIX for just over a year now. I'm technically at CU Boulder, but the majority of this time has been spent on site at BNL.

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

      I mainly focus on debugging/optimizing the DAQ and trigger. The DAQ tends to meltdown any time I attempt analysis on any calorimeter data.

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

I was born in Ames, Iowa, then moved to Utah when I was 10. I studied astrophysics at BYU and then taught physics and math at a high school for a year before heading off to grad school.

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

I have no idea yet I imagine it will have to do with jet measurements, but I'm afraid I won't be able to write it on all the debugging techniques for the DAQ. Since joining sPHENIX I haven't had the opportunity to present anything, but before that I was able to present work at the Four Corners Meeting. That was on the variable star analyses I did in my undergrad.

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

After finishing my undergrad I decided I'd like to move on to a field that's a little more hands-on. I saw that Jamie's group fit that need and that he had an interest in quark-gluon plasma, which scratched the astrophysics itch as well. Despite going completely over my head at the start I found the discussions in his group meetings fascinating and I wanted to learn more, so here I am! It's easy to get lost in the nitty gritty, but every once in a while I step back and realize that the physics we're doing is just plain ol' cool.

What do you like to do in your spare time?

When there's a climbing gym nearby I like to go rock climbing and bouldering. Outside of that I'm a bona fide nerd--lots of videogames and lots of Dungeons and Dragons.

Fun fact?

I know how to play like 20 instruments, the most interesting of which I'd say are Tuba, Accordion, and the organ.