Sowjanya Gollapinni, PhD
Sowjanya Gollapinni, PhD
Senior Scientist, Los Alamos National Lab
Hi, I am Sowjanya Gollapinni. I am currently a senior scientist in the Physics Division at the Department of Energy's Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) located in Los Alamos, New Mexico. I am also an adjunct professor in the Department of Physics & Astronomy at University of Tennessee, Knoxville. I am an experimental particle physicist trying to answer the ultimate question of "what is this universe made of at the most fundamental level"?. In particular, I study the elusive “Neutrino” particles. While neutrinos may be tiny, the world surrounding them is astonishingly big and whenever anything cool happens in the universe, neutrinos are usually involved. I build gigantic experiments to study these ghostly particles to understand the biggest and most tantalizing puzzles in the universe, from the structure of the atom to the formation of a star. I currently work on many neutrino experiments such as MicroBooNE and the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE), located at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) in Batavia, Illinois. Previously, for my Ph.D., I worked on the Compact Muon Solenoid (CMS) Experiment at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) at European Council for Nuclear Research (CERN) located at the border of Switzerland and France.
My job elements include designing and building big experiments, developing innovative technologies for research, analyzing huge volumes of data in search of new and exciting physics, frequently traveling nationally and internationally to give talks and attend conferences, mentoring early career researchers, participating in unending discussions, attending many meetings and reading countless emails. Apart from research, I am deeply passionate about nurturing STEM enthusiasm in school children and giving them a positive introduction to careers in science. Science communication, public outreach and education, science advocacy are other areas where I actively participate and reach out to general public. I am also extremely committed to promoting the culture of equity, diversity and inclusion in science. I firmly believe that science literacy empowers people in many ways leading to a more socially equitable society.
My hobbies include reading, watching movies, cooking, walking, hiking, and singing (mostly to myself). I’m married with two kids. Juggling career and family isn’t always easy, but I wouldn’t have it any other way.