Dr. Doug Berry, a postdoctoral researcher in the University of Illinois Chicago Department of Physics, has won an Achievement Award for his contribution to the CMS Experiment at the European Organization for Nuclear Research (CERN). Berry is a 2013 PhD from the Department of Physics at the University of Notre Dame. He was advised by Prof. Colin Jessop and Dr. Nancy Marinelli.
The experiment, which smashes subatomic particles together at light speed, relies on sensitive instruments that require frequent upgrades. For the last three years, Dr. Berry has overseen part of a crucial upgrade, preparing the Phase I Forward Pixel modules for installation on the pixel tracker. The effort is massive and painstaking. The detector needed 672 new modules, each needing to be tested, debugged, repaired, and calibrated before installation. In all, over 1,200 modules were tested before the final 672 were installed. The improved pixel trackers will enable researchers to observe and record the effects of high-intensity collisions. After logging so many hours in the lab, Dr. Berry says, “It was a relief to see my work is recognized.”