Nicholas Carrara
Hello YoungDUNE,
I’m Nicholas Carrara, a postdoc at UC Davis finishing up my second year. I work on a lot of neutron physics and machine-learning related things on DUNE, specifically with measuring neutron cross sections on argon (ARTIE/MArEX), the neutron calibration effort (PNS), neutron final state physics (potential ANNIE experiment), low-energy recombination physics (NEST), low-energy (blip) reconstruction and analysis (Arraks/Blip). I am also currently working with Prof. Jingbo Wang (SDSM) and others to establish a Neutron WG, which I hope to convene. When I’m not doing physics, I enjoy
playing/writing music and performing at open mic nights with other musicians/physicists (Wünderbar in Davis is great if you ever visit!) and hanging out with my Boston terrier Sebastian.
Like many others, I believe that the success of DUNE depends greatly on the success of YoungDUNE and its members. The SAC positions are important for ensuring that (1) the needs and concerns of YoungDUNE are heard by the spokespeople, and that (2) critical information is communicated back to YoungDUNE from the committee. As a SAC representative, I would be committed to ensuring that both communication channels remain active and healthy. It is important to remind the SAC that YoungDUNE is “the Future of DUNE”, and that maintaining a healthy base of early-career scientists
increases the odds of a successful experiment. In much the same way, I believe it is essential for us to share our collective knowledge and experience for the following generations of YoungDUNE.
As a new SAC representative, I would suggest at least two action items: to establish (1) a site/database containing resources/information for YoungDUNE and its members, and (2) a social forum (separate from Slack) where members can engage and communicate with each other.
Yifan Chen
Hi Young DUNE!
I am Yifan Chen, currently a PostDoc at SLAC and working on DUNE near detector and its prototypes. Before moving to SLAC one and half years ago, I was a PhD student at the University of Bern, mainly working on MicroBooNE where I also served as a MicroBooNE Young representative.
I am grateful to be considered as a candidate for Young DUNE SAC representative. I appreciate the close communication between Young DUNE and the collaboration leadership. It is a great channel for our voice to be heard. DUNE is a huge international collaboration, and Young DUNE includes students and PostDocs from various countries and institutes. As a Young DUNE SAC representative, I would further gather voices from the wide Young DUNE community, communicate with the leadership and try to improve the overall working condition for Young DUNE.
Elise Hinkle
Hi all! My name is Elise Hinkle, and I’m a third-year PhD student at the University of Chicago. I’m currently working on analyses for the Single Phase and Near Detector ProtoDUNEs. I’m also involved in APA construction for DUNE FD1 and in 2x2 electronics and installation. It’s been clear in every project I’ve worked on that DUNE would not function without our dedication and commitment as early career researchers, and I strongly believe that our interests and opinions should be important factors in shaping the future of DUNE. Over the past few years, I’ve gotten comfortable navigating conversations with leadership and advocating for the needs of early career scientists as a grad student representative on the UChicago Physics Department’s Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Committee and on the UChicago Physical Sciences Dean’s Student Advisory Committee. I’d be honored to continue this work within our collaboration by representing Young DUNE on the Spokesperson Advisory Committee. As a Young DUNE SAC rep, my priorities would be open communication and firm advocation. I’d love for you all to feel comfortable reaching out to me if there are issues impacting you as an early career researcher, and I’ll work hard to ensure that DUNE leadership takes our perspectives and concerns seriously. If this resonates with you, I hope you’ll consider voting for me as one of the Young DUNE SAC reps!
Jessie Micallef
Hello! I’m Jessie Micallef (she/they) a postdoc fellow at the Institute for AI and Fundamental Interactions (IAIFI), which means I split my time between MIT and Tufts University (near Boston, MA, USA). I joined DUNE as I started my postdoc in Fall 2022, along with joining MicroBooNE. My goal is to use machine learning tools to help accomplish neutrino property measurements. Before that, I spent 6 years and wrote my thesis on IceCube in neutrino oscillations and machine learning while at Michigan State University (MSU). I’m honored and excited to run for the Young DUNE SAC position!
I have years of experience working to better the environment for early career scientists (ECS) in particle physics and engaging in efforts to support them, particularly focused on diversity, equity, and inclusion. I’ve held other leadership positions such as being a member of IAIFI’s Early Career and Equity Committee, President of the Women and Minorities in Physical Sciences (at MSU), co-Chair of the Conference for Undergraduate Women in Physics (at MSU through APS), and speaking on behalf of ECS in neutrino collaborations to the P5 planning committee. Between my years engaging in conversations at ECS meetings on IceCube and most recently on DUNE and MicroBooNE, I’m excited to bring my experience on multiple collaborations to help support ECS and I’m prepared to pursue any problems faced by ECS! I look forward to tackling the unique challenges that come with being ECS on the DUNE project, such as the experiment being in the early construction stages and collaborating with thousand(s) of people, and bringing our concerns to the Spokespersons Advisory Committee!
Matthew Osbiston
Hello everyone! My name is Matthew Osbiston and I’m in the first year of my PhD at the University of Warwick, UK. I’m part of the Pandora pattern recognition team and I’m currently working to improve our reconstruction within the low energy regime at the far detector, working closely with the FD Sim/Reco and Low Energy Working Groups.
First of all, I'm grateful for the opportunity to run for Young DUNE SAC representative! So far, I've really enjoyed integrating myself in to the collaboration and meeting physicists from across the world. In the position of SAC representative, I would do my best to gather thoughts and opinions from members of Young DUNE and communicate them in a clear and coherent way to the Speakers in order to reflect and share the views of my peers around me. I think this is a vital role for representing those early in their careers, and being able to influence those more senior members of the collaboration is key in order to bring balance and perspective.